Tales of a Steamworld
by Raenef the 6th
Summary: The world of Symphonia is one we're all familiar with and know by heart...but what if it suddenly took a more...Steampunk turn?  Come and see the new adventures of Lloyd and the world of Aselia, Steampunk style!
1. A New Beginning

*Camera pans up to reveal Raenef standing over a massive table covered in drawings, sketches, lists and ideas. Shin'en of the Chaotic Destiny stands to his left, while Infinite Freedom stands to his right, also looking over the table.*

Raenef: So…it's a go then?

Shin'en: *nods slowly*. Everything is ready.

*Raenef turns to Infinite Freedom*

I.F: You've come this far. You better follow through.

Raenef: As if I wouldn't. I put too much work into this to not. *Walks over to computer and loads up a new program, displaying a screen for final input. Raenef considers for a moment before slamming his hand on the starter key, executing the new program and story*

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><p><strong>Alright, folks, it's time for a new tale and new take on the world of ToS! That's right, I'm changing it again, and this time, it's much bigger than before! Now this one is one that I've found to not been done before for ToS, or at least not yet. The inspiration came to me as I was playing through the game again, wandering around and just looking for possible ideas. I discovered what I needed in Palmacosta, at the docks. Remember that giant steam ship that just sits there? Well, that image led me to this right here.<strong>

**I hope to hear plenty of honest feedback from you all, whether it's good or bad, what needs tweaking or needs changing. I am writing to entertain you all, after all. It would help to know what my audience would like.**

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><p><strong>City of Iselia<strong>

The sun's rays shone brightly through the open glass window of the quiet bedroom. Various pieces of metal and copper lay scattered on a nearby wooden desk, mixed in with various sketches of machines and parts. A half completed construction laid on top of it all, the various cogs and nuts and bolts that made it up still visible within. Its outer layer wouldn't be applied until the insides were complete. The creator wasn't much for a halfway finished job. The sunlight extended further, casting light onto the beige colored walls that was half hidden behind more sketches and notes. A small breeze lifted up a few pages, showing trace lines of dust behind them.

On the bed attached to the opposite wall, the resident and owner of the very room was dead asleep, his dirty-brown hair a ruffled mess as he shuffled around in his sleep. One hand dangled off the bed and twitched every few seconds to keep away from going numb. The loud snores were accompanied by light, shallow breathing as the quiet morning moved along. It wasn't meant to last, unfortunately, as the dreamer soon found a rude awakening.

"Lloyd! It's time to get up and get going! You've got business to do today!" a thickly accented deep voice called up from the stairwell. The sleeper, now aptly named and identified, responded with a groan and pulling the sheets over his head. "Lloyd!" He gave up and knew that his dad wouldn't leave him in peace.

"I'm awake!" He called back as he threw off the sheets and stretched. Lloyd Irving rose up from the mattress haven he'd been enjoying and looked about the room as his eyes grew accustomed to the morning light. A yawn and a few popped bones informed him he was indeed awake, and fortunately he hadn't overslept.

"You've got 20 minutes till the shop opens, Lloyd! Get a move on!"

If only by a few minutes, he hadn't overslept.

Lloyd got up from his bed and ran his hands through his ruffled hair before deciding to get a move on. He stumbled into the small washroom next to his bedroom and started the hot water machine for the shower. Steam began to fill the room as Lloyd quickly stripped himself of his bed clothes and washed up. The warm water worked its magic on him and he found his mind coming back to reality within a few moments. The clicking of the clockwork timer next to the shower reminded him of what little time he had to enjoy it. Before long, he was out of the shower and drying off back in his room, throwing on his work clothes as he heard Dirk start to open shop in the room below. Lloyd finished and turned to the mirror for a final once-over before heading out.

His hair had been cleaned and combed through, for all the good it would do to straighten it. It kept to its flourished and wavy style, reaching into the air and colored a brown hue. His boots were a dark tan leather with several straps reaching across from left to right, keeping them tight to his feet when done up all the way. His pants were a dark blue, lined with metal studs on the sides that ran the full length of his legs, the ends of his pants tucked into his boots. A brown leather belt circled through the loops of his pants, but several tips and holes could be seen in the leather, designed to help hold tools or parts on his person when his hands were full. His friend Genis once commented it was a utility belt meant for heroes, though he would never admit that it was what had inspired him to make it that way.

His shirt was a thin, breathable material colored white, long sleeved and kept tight to his form. It didn't display the muscle that lay beneath, but it did give him a decent appearance. Overtop it; he wore a light grey/brown mix vest, buttoned up to the third button which showed the black silk beneath it. His work uniform was tidy and demonstrated a good person who wore them. At least that was what Dirk claimed. Lloyd felt that they were too tight on his form, and preferred his looser clothing he wore when tinkering with his inventions. Hearing Dirk call out again, Lloyd gave a smile and a thumbs-up to the mirror before heading downstairs to work.

Emerging from the stairwell, Lloyd stepped into one of the most familiar sights of his life: the open wares and products of the Dwarven Metal workshop. All along the shelves on the walls and in the glass displays, workable parts and fully crafted machines of all sorts stood on display, polished and oiled to look their best. In the sunlight that had been shining through Lloyd's window, a new house-cleaning machine, an MDC-mark II (1), sat at the ready for sale. Its various pumps and brushes, as well as all the other necessary connections, sat primed and ready for the first customer to buy it. Fortunately, most of the fully built constructs were kept off, for the sake of keeping cool and less noise. If they were all running, Lloyd was sure the shop would've caught fire or turned him and his father deaf.

"It took you long enough, lad. I swear you spend too much time at night playing with those scraps you find. You need to focus more on what we have going on here than up in that thick head of yours." Dirk's thick Scottish accent chided him as the stout figure of the Dwarf emerged from the counter. He wore a similar outfit as Lloyd's, though tailored for his shorter stature. Granted, he did admire the boy's imaginative ways of fiddling with machinery. He sometimes found solutions to problems that Dirk had come to accept as being unsolvable and costly. '_Though that very money I save tends to go towards paying for the boy's mischief outside the shop. But I was the same when I was his age,'_ Dirk thought to himself.

"This thick head makes you plenty of money good and true and you know it, dad. Besides," Lloyd walked to one of the shelves and started straightening many of the pieces for sale to try and entice as many people as possible. "If not for me, who else would you trust to work on all these delicate money-makers?"

Dirk sighed and had to concede the point to the boy. He had taught him everything he knew about crafting machinery, developing the proper cogs and bolts that would give them the best ability, how to oil a machine to never slow for at least a month at a time, even how to substitute old metal and convert it into something as functional and reliable as newly crafted steel. It wasn't done just to demonstrate his Dwarven nature for construction, but more as a father to teach his son. He had to pass along his trade to someone, after all.

"I don't know how many customers we'll be expecting today, but I do know that I'll need you to run out for a couple of things. We're running short on some of our food, and I know we need a new bearing splitter after that stunt you pulled with our old one three days ago. I told you it's not designed for that kind of work, but you had to push it." Dirk looked behind the counter at their old and now broken bearing splitter. It had snapped in two after Lloyd's latest tinkering project.

"Well, how else was I supposed to remove those gears? Use my bare hands? I like keeping my fingers where they are." Lloyd complained. He turned to see Dirk's hard gaze on his form. Lloyd sighed and knew his father was right. "Alright, alright. I'll get a new one, a better one at that. Colette should have some new parts in to sell." Lloyd finished straightening up and looked outside. It was a clear sunny day for Iselia, the clouds having departed for the other side of the world to leave Lloyd with a beautiful day to enjoy. '_And I have to spend it doing work indoors…man…'_ Lloyd sighed again and turned the closed sign on the front door to open. "When do you want me to head out, this morning or this afternoon?"

Dirk stroked his beard in thought as he watched Lloyd. He could let him go now and get it done early, or he could make him work the morning shift and then go out this afternoon. If he goes now, he gets everything they need before the main customer rush would come in. If he sends him later, he can have him here to watch the store when the main business rush arrives. But still, the boy had worked hard last night, he knew that for certain. And hard work always has a reward to come with it. It was the Dwarven way.

"Tell you what. Go out and run these errands before 11 o clock and I'll give you today off. But you better be on time, or I'll have you cleaning the entire store from roof to floor!" he warned. Dirk knew it was enough to entice Lloyd though. He rarely if ever gave him such an opportunity. The Dwarf believed in the old ways of work: From sunrise to sunset, till every chore is done, till every task is complete. He did his best to rub it off onto Lloyd, and succeeded for the most part.

"Thanks, dad! I'll go do them right now!" Lloyd ran back upstairs to grab his traveling gear. The trek from here to Colette's family store was close to twenty minutes just to get there, barring any misadventures that Lloyd got up to. He always managed to find some sort of mayhem to cause or witness, though it's often more of the former. He soon returned with a small knapsack to carry everything he would get, as well as two small metal shafts that he attached to a clip on the backside of his pants. "I'll be back with the groceries and the new part before noon!" He rushed out the door before Dirk could protest.

"Wait a minute, I said eleven! Bah…" Dirk sighed as his favorite worker and son headed out. "Kids these days. You'd think the lad was out to change the world."

Outside, Lloyd was smiling as he made his way down the city's road, lined with streetlamps and various vendors of all sorts. Many of them sold simply food and other little goods that the people of Iselia grew and made. Being so far out from the other cities, Iselia often had to fend for itself, so as such, there was a hybrid market of both machine made and man made goods. Some of the stands caught Lloyd's eye, but the prices they intended to charge kept him away easy enough. He had to wave away a few of the more pushy ones, due to them recognizing him as being Dirk's boy. They weren't competition for Dirk, but more or less were part of his clientele.

Making his way further down, Lloyd entered the more developed section of Iselia, where many of the buildings had been standing since before he was born. Several were built from materials from the ground, such as brick or wood, and held a rustic charm to them. They held strong in bad weather, though most were used as apartment buildings and homes than workshops for fear of fire hazards. Intermixed with them were newer homes constructed from metal, and considered to be sturdier than the rest. Most were used as workshops for the mechanists and engineers who lived in Iselia, though there were only so many.

Lloyd's hometown was more of a transitory place for travelers, many stopping by to either restock during a journey or to rest. That's not to say the town wasn't lively of course. There were plenty of sources for entertainment to be found. On the other side of town was a dancing hall and bar/saloon for all to enjoy. Well, those of age of course. Lloyd knew Dirk had been in the saloon plenty of times, and had yet to see just what it was he enjoyed. He was caught every time he tried to sneak in after Dirk, to the point that the front door bouncer knew him by name.

Lloyd's musings were brought to a halt as he became aware of someone calling his name. Looking around, he heard it again before glancing up at a house on his left. It was a cozy looking home, made with a mixture of brick and metal parts. The lower base was all brick to give it a firm foundation, but metal adaptations were revealed as one kept looking up. Various pipes and exhaust holes were spread throughout the walls, some exhaling white steam into the clear sky. Out of one window was a head of white hair, eyes gleaming and mouth in a wide grin. "Genis! What are you up to?" Lloyd called to his best friend and companion.

"Oh, the usual: testing a new batch of ingredients from Palmacosta, taking notes on their effectiveness-" He looked back into his room suddenly as Lloyd heard a woman yell, "Turn off that flame before you burn the house down!", and grinned at Lloyd when he turned back. "Oh, and making sis mad at my supposed fire hazard. Just the usual. What are you doing out so early? Dirk usually has you working your butt off at the shop."

"He needed me to run some errands this morning before the main business rush came in. Some more fresh food and a new bearing splitter that I may have accidentally broken." He called back before spotting a tall female form emerge from the front door. "Good morning, Raine! Genis up to his usual fun?"

"If by fun, you mean setting up another one of his fanciful bomb ideas that could blow up his entire room, then yes. Can you do me a favor and take him with you while you're out? I have to run down to the post office to send off my latest report to Meltokio, and I would like to come home to a whole house instead of half of one." The elder Sage sister asked.

Lloyd nodded. "Sure! It'd be more fun to have someone to walk with anyway." He turned back to see Genis gone from the window. "Where did he-" His unfinished question was answered as Genis suddenly leapt from the window and caught onto a nearby metal pole that ran the length of the house from roof to ground. He swung down and landed with a flourish, as if expecting applause. What he got instead was Lloyd's smirk and Raine's sigh. "Always the showman, eh Genis?" Lloyd commented as he took in Genis' appearance.

Genis wore a small brown cap on his head, cocked slightly to the side that had likely been straight when he first put it on a moment ago. His white hair stuck out past the caps edges, with a few of the tips slightly singed from what Lloyd could see. He'd obviously been experimenting again when Lloyd happened by. A pair of goggles hung around his neck, the lens colored black to filter out light as best as possible. He wore a light brown shirt with a dark blue jacket overtop, lined with buttons from collar to the bottom of the jacket. His pants were a tan color and miraculously clean, ending in brown leather boots (2). A small cog was pinned to his chest where his heart would be, dusted off and gleaming in the light. He was carrying a small bag that clinked several times as he shifted around to get comfy.

"Did you make sure to turn off all your experiments?" Raine questioned. "No beakers left burning, no fuses left lit, none of that?"

"Yes, Raine. I made sure to turn everything off. I figured you would want me to go with Lloyd while you were out anyway. I need some fresh air, and this will do the trick." Genis replied.

Raine sighed. "Good. I should be back within an hour or so. If you're out longer, do try to stay out of trouble?" The pair nodded and Raine gave them one last look before turning and heading down the path to the post office. She turned back around as a thought occurred to her. "Oh, and Genis? No explosions. I better not see so much as one smoke cloud coming from the city, you hear me?" The younger sibling nodded and she went on her way.

Lloyd watched her go before turning back to Genis. "Ready to go see Colette?" he asked as he resumed walking, now being followed by the young chemist and best friend he'd known his whole life.

"You bet! And who knows? We might have some fun along the way!" Genis exclaimed. "After all, I do intend to make good use of my new batch of bombs."

"I thought Raine said no explosions? You know what happened the last time you went behind her back?" Lloyd recalled when Raine took care to dump all of Genis' new shipment from Palmacosta when he had been discovered making a new type of smoke grenade that was self-sustaining. Using a remote control, which may or may not have been partially made by Lloyd, Genis could control how much smoke would be produced and how long it would run. It was a curious sight to see when the Sage house was smothered in a white fog that clung to the house for two days straight.

Genis reached into his bag and held up a small black sphere with several prongs sticking out of it, a small cog resting on the top that was held in place by a small pin. "Who said there would be smoke this time?"

Lloyd laughed and the pair made their way down the road, laughing and spinning tales of their past antics and ideas for the week.

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><p><strong>1. Literally, Maid Dirt Cleaner Mark II. Can you imagine how dirty a town like Iselia would be, with dirt roads and the likes of Genis wandering around?<strong>

**2. Genis outfit is inspired by an image I found on another site, which I'll post on my profile.**

**And that's a wrap! So what do all of you think of the first chapter of the Steampunk world of Tales of Symphonia? We've met four characters already, and each has been envisioned with a new take. I plan to detail Raine's outfit later on, once I figure a more proper look for her.**

**Read and review, please! And I sincerely mean, review. I really would like to hear people's opinions on how this looks and reads. Thanks again ahead of time.**


	2. Desians and Mystery

**And here's the second chapter of Tales of a Steamworld! We've gotten off to a great start with the first chapter, so let's keep the ball rolling!**

**Oh, and to answer those first few reviews:**

**Swordude-The character interactions will be somewhat different than their canon counterparts are. Some of the same elements will remain, but with a new world comes new attitudes and beliefs.**

**Infinite Freedom- I can't give away everything at once, but needless to say, I intend to get as creative as possible to put a new spin on all the familiar baddies.**

**Oh, and before I forget (thanks to Shin'en for reminding me)-**

**I do not own Tales of Symphonia, as it is owned by Namco and its partners. Nor do I claim any holdings over it to gain profit as any sort of means.**

**Now, on with the show!**

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><p>"You can't expect me to believe Dirk let you get away with doing that to his shop. How is it that you got away alive again?" Genis asked after hearing Lloyd's latest outlandish tale.<p>

"I'm telling you its true! So what if I might've put some of the shelves on rotators? It's to help us have room for stock, or even to hide our items should we have anyone try to rob us! You make it sound as if I put them there deliberately just to frustrate him." Lloyd answered.

"It might have something to do with the fact you forgot which shelves you did that to and which ones you didn't. Imagine Dirk's surprise when he tries to sell a new product, only to have it vanish into the wall before his eyes. He'll have your hide for it!"

"So why do you think I took to coming out to run errands so quickly? Contrary to popular opinion, I do know how to look out for myself." Lloyd said, folding his hands behind his head as the pair casually made their way to Colette's shop. He figured it should be just right around the corner up ahead, once they got past the farmer's market. The peddling of the vendors soon died out as they made for the shop, only to have the sound be replaced by eager window-shoppers. Colette's place of business was located right in the middle of Iselia's busiest district, a spot that her family had held since Iselia was first founded so long ago.

Pushing past several crowded store fronts, Lloyd and Genis finally came to the front step of the Brunel Convenience and Stock Store. It was built similar to Dirk's shop, with a large window front to display the newest products and goods that had come into stock, accompanied with price tags and various deals available. The entire building stood approximately 3 stories tall, having been renovated twice in the past. The first was to add a floor for Colette's family to live in. The second was to give Colette a room to herself once she was old enough. Each level had a different color painting style, starting at the bottom with a basic red, then dark blue in the middle, and finally a light peach for the top. Lloyd had asked before about the odd paint job, but the Brunel's had no answer, saying the designer did all the work before they had any say in the matter.

Stepping through the front door, Lloyd took in the sights of a regular day for the Brunels. Colette's father, Frank, was attending to one customer who was looking to purchase a set of tools used for carpentry work, containing various screwdrivers, hammers, and the like within. Phaidra, Colette's grandmother, was tidying up her counter while standing ready at the register for any paying customers. She saw the two boys enter and waved them a friendly hello before saying "Are you two here looking for Colette?" At their nods, she walked over to the door leading to the storage room and called "Colette! Your friends are here to see you!"

A loud crash was her response, followed by a meek "Sorry!" as more noise sounded from what they guessed was Colette picking up what she dropped. Lloyd and Genis sweatdropped as they knew it was Colette's unfortunate habit to being clumsy often. A moment later, and the girl in question emerged from the storage room. "Lloyd, Genis! How are you? It's good to see you!" Colette was dressed casually, keeping herself in light clothing to deal with the regular heat of Iselia. She wore dark brown boots that came midway to her knees, the rest of her legs and lower body covered by a lighter brown skirt that was slightly ruffled at the ends and moved with her as she walked. Her shirt was a simple white, button-down long sleeve that had various smudges and dirt spots on it, no doubt from the crash they just heard in the back. Atop her head was a small pair of glasses, the lenses shaded to deal with any intense light. Her blonde hair was done back behind her in a simple braided ponytail, reaching down to just beneath the middle of her back. (**1**)

"Good to see you too, Colette! What was that noise we heard back there?" Genis questioned as Lloyd looked around the shelves. The Brunels really did have a good deal of parts and necessities that kept them with plenty of business. On one side, the side where Frank was working, they peddled out parts and machines that many people have to order from out of town to obtain. On the other, Phaidra took care of many of the grocery products, mixing local tastes with some more exotic ones. Lloyd eyed one of the refrigerated racks holding beef and felt drool gather in his mouth, before recognizing a tomato sitting next to it, ruining his sudden hunger.

"Well, I was on one of the ladders we keep in the back, fetching some more things for dad when I heard Phaidra call for me. So I tried to turn around to answer, but I lost my footing and ended up falling off the ladder. I'm alright though, and so is what I was getting!" She held up a large, metallic half-sphere that had several holes around its circumference, along with one large one at the top. "This is what I was getting down. It's one of the newer MSP (**2**) devices from Meltokio!"

Genis had to resist the urge to groan. '_Had that hit her on the head, she would've been knocked unconscious, at the least!' _"Well, I'm glad you're alright. Sorry if we surprised you like that."

"It's alright. I was getting a little bored in here anyway. So what are you two in here today for? Did you come to pick up any new parts, Lloyd?" Colette turned to one of her closest friends to find him examining one of the more expensive tinkering sets that he'd had his eyes on for some time. "If you want to buy that today, it costs 10,000 gald, and comes with a gyroscope set, three different sized welders, a tailstock foot and headstock base, and two hand wheels." She recited the product description, causing Lloyd to whistle at the contents. "I don't think I'll be spending that much today, not with Dirk's money at least. I came in to pick up some food to restock our shelves, as well as a new bearing splitter. We broke it the other day trying to get some gears out of a machine."

Colette giggled and put a finger to her chin. "So in other words, you broke it and you want to replace it before Dirk docks it from your pay?" Lloyd flinched in response, causing her to laugh more. "I'll go see if we have any in the back. I think we got some in just two days ago. If you have a list for your food, Phaidra can see to it while I'm back there." Lloyd nodded and the blonde disappeared into the storage room once again, while Lloyd handed his list off to Phaidra. "Remind me again how she does that thing of knowing where and what everything is in the store?" Lloyd's question made Phaidra laugh quietly.

"It's called a photographic memory, Lloyd. All she has to do is see it just once, and it's in her mind. It's pretty handy for business and keeping track of our stock, especially when the crowds get into a shopping frenzy." Taking the list, Phaidra began to retrieve and bag various foods from the shelf. Every time she plucked one off, a compartment would open in the wall and replace the taken food with another of its kind before sliding shut. It was a handy system that Phaidra had had built to help with keeping food available as well as not having to cram workers everywhere just to keep stock available. Bagging the last item, Phaidra handed the groceries to Lloyd as Colette returned with a gleaming new bearing splitter in hand.

After totaling it all up and paying accordingly, Colette turned to Lloyd and asked him, "So what will you and Genis do now? Going to go explore more of the city?"

Lloyd nodded. "Dad gave me the rest of the day off providing I get this all back to him by noon, so I'm not sure, but that's probably it. Genis told me he has a new explosive he wants to test out at the firing ranges, so we might head out that way. Would you want to come with us?

"Well, if Phaidra and Frank are fine with it, I'd be happy to…"she trailed off as she looked towards the doorway. Genis and Lloyd both turned to follow her gaze and both stiffened immediately. Outside, the shopping customers had given way to a gang of men who were standing outside, armed with blades and clubs they held loosely at their sides. Their clothing was rugged and dirty, stained from alcohol as well as lack of hygiene. Their grins lacked teeth as well as polite intentions. "What are they doing here?" Lloyd growled as he took a step forward as one of the group's members began to yell at the shop.

"Hey, Brunels! Where's our insurance money payment? It's getting awfully overdue for you to be paying for our…'protection', don't you think?" the leader called out. His fellow lackeys chuckled behind him.

Lloyd looked behind to Phaidra and Frank. "Don't tell me these Desian bastards have been hitting you two up for gald again?" he questioned. Both shook their heads to the negative. "Don't worry, we'll handle them. Come on, Genis." Lloyd nodded to his friend and the pair walked outside the shop, the small greeting bell announcing them.

"About time-Hey, who are you two?" the leader asked as Lloyd and Genis stepped out to meet them. Lloyd cracked his knuckles and his neck before meeting the Desian's eyes. He almost flinched seeing how intense the boy's eyes were.

"Oh, just two concerned citizens, you could say. Now, if my memory serves me right, the Brunels have never paid for any protection money from the likes of you guys, seeing as how, well, how pathetic you are. There's no easy way to say it." The engineer knew his words were grating on the Desian's already short nerves.

"You little brat! Do you know who we are? Who we work for? If you did, you wouldn't be so cocky, I bet!" He hoped to unnerve the boy at the least, but instead all he got in reply was a smirk.

"I'm sorry, just who are you again? I'm afraid I don't remember anyone so pathetic they need to try and bully people in broad daylight. I would try harder, but it just doesn't seem worth the effort." Lloyd pretended to think, putting on a thinking pose as the Desian's temper flared higher. "I know it started with a D…Dumbassians? Designians? No, I'm gonna have to go with Dumbassians. Am I close?" Lloyd watched as the man became enraged, his grip on his large club becoming hard enough to break the wood…if he had any strength, that is.

"That does it! It's Desians, you little brat! And I'm gonna beat that name into your head until you get it clear from here on out!" He charged forward, brandishing his makeshift weapon over his head and yelling at the top of his lungs. Lloyd's hands twitched towards his backside, but he decided he wouldn't need them for this one. Not yet, at least. Waiting till he was the right distance away, Lloyd tensed and then rushed forward, grabbing the arm holding the club at the wrist while cocking back his other hand. He threw a quick punch towards the exposed armpit, sending a wave of pain through the Desian thug before following up with a swift kick to his side, knocking him off his feet and away.

"Boss! You'll regret that, kid! Let's get him, boys!" The rest of the gang jumped into the fray, rushing forward to try and overpower the teen before them. Before they could exact their revenge, however, they were stopped when several spheres of metal rolled in front of them, making an oddly rhythmic ticking sound. Their realization of what it was came too late as their vision became filled with heated white smoke, causing them to choke and fall away to breathe again. Their vision distorted, causing some to stumble as they tried to stand. "Funny thing about chemicals: they can do the funniest things to people when they inhale the right ones." Genis' voice rang out through the smog. As it faded away, it revealed him standing beside Lloyd, holding another of the devices and bouncing it up and down in his palm.

"Normally, carbon and hydrogen are harmless to people like you and me. But you throw in just a pinch of Carbon-Iodide, and people just start falling all over themselves trying to get out of it."(**3**) Genis stopped bouncing the bomb in his hand and glared at the gangsters. "Now if you don't want to see what happens when I really get to working, then beat it chumps!" The men looked at each other for a moment before looking at their leader, who'd gotten back up.

"You think we're gonna run just because of a couple lucky shots? Kid, you got no idea who you're messing with. I'm gonna enjoy making you squeal." He picked up his weapon and hefted it in his hands. The rest of his group followed his lead, though they were still put off by the bomb in Genis' hands. That stuff had been nasty enough to deal with once already.

"Suit yourself. Don't say I didn't warn you though." Genis put the small bomb in his hand back in his bag and reached for one of his bigger models. Lloyd's hand on his shoulder stopped him though. "Remember what your sister said, Genis? No smoke clouds while she's out or you're busted." Genis sighed and pulled his hand back out. "Yeah, I guess you're right. You always have all the fun though. When is it gonna be my turn?"

"You'll get yours soon enough, Genis. Just leave these guys to me." Lloyd surveyed around himself to count up how many he'd be up against. To his count, only 4 were present counting their leader, two armed with clubs while two were armed with jagged blades. It looked more like they just grabbed for whatever scrap metal they could find to use. '_Shouldn't be too much of a challenge._' He reached behind him and unclipped the two metal shafts that had been resting on his backside the whole time. Flicking a switch on both, he flipped them into the air, drawing both his opponent's attention as well as that of the crowd's.

At first, they did nothing, but as they reached the peak of their flight, they suddenly changed and grew. A long thin sheet of metal suddenly sprouted from the shafts, extending outwards before coming to a stop. A smaller shaft extended from between the longer sheet and the original shaft before splitting and forming a circular guard that divided the blade and the shaft of what could now be identified as swords. Coming back down from their flight, Lloyd caught both and gave a few swings for entertainment before taking a stance. "Well, come and get me!" He challenged.

His words snapped the Desians out of their stupor and they lunged forward. Lloyd rushed forward to meet them and chose to take out the two with actual blades first. Stepping forward, he used one blade to block a swing aimed for his head before slashing to his left, lashing out at the other blade-wielding gangster. He stumbled back to avoid being cut, but still received a gash on his side for his efforts. Lloyd spun and kicked away a third who tried to jump him from behind. Using his momentum, he brought his unoccupied blade to bash away the sword that he'd been holding back before making two quick slashes across his chest, causing the Desian to yell in pain and fall back to safety.

The hairs on the back of his neck suddenly stood up, and Lloyd ducked, feeling the wind pass by his head as he avoided having his head bashed in. Turning to meet his opponent, Lloyd caught him off balance, due to the Desian putting too much force into the swing. He bashed at his elbow with the sword's pommel, causing the thug to drop his club from the shock of sudden pain. Lloyd followed up with a simple slash down the middle, though he held back on aiming for a killing blow. It was enough to cause the Desian to fall, however, leaving Lloyd with two to go.

The remaining Desians decided to try and double team him to overwhelm him, but Lloyd was ready. The pair leaped and brought down their weapons to try and overwhelm him, but Lloyd smirked and dodged them both. The duo landed on the ground only to be met with a slash on their backsides and two swift kicks, knocking them to the ground. The crowd cheered as Lloyd stood up and dusted himself off before flicking another switch on his swords, turning them to their original state.

"Now for the last time: Get out of this town, and don't even think of bothering us again! Now, get!" Lloyd watched as the group came together and hobbled away, the crowd parting to let them out and jeering them as they ran, tails between their legs. Lloyd sighed and headed back into the shop before the crowd could converge on him and Genis. "Well, that's taken care of. They shouldn't bother you anymore, Phaidra, Frank."

The Brunels both smiled and thanked Lloyd profusely for his aid. "The next time you need something, consider it on the house, Lloyd. Our way of saying thanks." Frank stated to show his gratitude.

"I'll hold you to that." Lloyd laughed before he heard a clock chime overhead. Looking to it, Lloyd saw that it was nearly 11:30. "Oh, man! I need to get back or else Dirk's gonna make me work all day! Come on, Genis!" Lloyd dashed out the door, with Genis yelling his goodbye as the two made their way back to Dirk's shop.

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><p><strong>Dwarven Metal Workshop<strong>

Dirk eyed the clock that sat above the doorway as its hands neared 12 0'clock. "If that boy is late, so help me Martel, I'll skin him raw!" he grumbled as he looked about the shop. Business had been slow, which wasn't a problem for Dirk. It meant he could enjoy the day and maybe even close early if it stays this slow. But before he could do that, he needed to eat himself some lunch, and in order to do that, Lloyd needed to get back from running out to get said food. He glanced up again and counted down the last several seconds in his head. '_10…9…8…'_ He counted as he looked out the doorway and windows. Suddenly, a white-shirted shape carrying bags emerged from the crowd of people outside, rushing towards the shop. '_7_…_6_…_5_…' a second smaller figure emerged behind him, running after him. They yelled to each other as they neared the door. '_4…3…2…_' the bell chimed as the door slammed open and Lloyd burst in, Genis in tow and the bags in hand. "I made it! Before twelve!" Lloyd cried as he set the bags on the counter, panting hard.

"You barely made it if that, lad. What took you so long to go from Colette's and back?" the dwarf questioned as Lloyd regained his breath.

"Well, I got there in plenty of time to spare after I came across Genis and he wanted to tag along. I got everything we needed and talked for a bit and was about to leave, but then we ran into a little trouble." Lloyd chuckled nervously while Genis closed the door behind him.

"And what sort of trouble would that be?" Dirk growled out. "If you've been causing more mayhem out there and I have to pay for damages, so help me, Lloyd!"

Lloyd waved his hands defensively. "Nothing like that! I was helping to protect Colette's store from a bunch of Desian thugs who were trying to squeeze them for money. Me and Genis took care of them and sent them packing on their way. Then we ran down here."

Dirk eyed him for a moment before nodding, satisfied. "I see. It's good of you to stick up for your friends, Lloyd, especially with those Desians trying to pick trouble all the time. I don't know why the city hasn't managed to eliminate them yet, though I'd bet my beard it's to do with that troublesome mayor." Dirk sighed and began unloading the food that Lloyd had gotten. "But, you did your part, Lloyd. So you get the rest of the day off, I suppose. Just don't go causing any trouble."

Lloyd smiled and turned to Genis. "You heard him, Genis! Let's get out of here and go have some fun!"

Genis sighed and replied, "We only just got here and you're already running around again. I'll bet the moment we get into town, you'll be bored again."

Lloyd waved off his complaints. "I won't get bored! Come on, let's go get Colette and head out!"

The two walked out and Dirk couldn't help but smile. It did him good to see his boy happy like that. A whistling tune could be heard from the shop, though no one could really identify its origin.

* * *

><p><strong>Iselia-City Streets<strong>

After picking up Colette from her family's store, the trio of friends had discussed for a few minutes of just what to do to pass the time they'd been given for the day. Genis had suggested going out to the open fields to test his new bomb, which Lloyd had agreed would be entertaining. Colette had also suggested going out to the Inventor's Square, a district of the city where visiting inventors and engineers premiered their new creations as well as promote them. Lloyd had found this idea to also be a good idea, but the matter was settled when his stomach made its opinion known with a loud rumble.

The three now sat outside one of the few restaurants that populated the town, each with their own meal on hand. Genis and Colette had settled for some simple sandwiches and tea for their appetites. However, both their plates lay only half finished as they watched Lloyd devour his seafood plate. The tinkerer had found his stomach calling for full satisfaction, so he'd opted for a mix of seafood and pasta to fill him as much as possible.

"Do you have any idea where he puts it all?" Colette questioned as Lloyd stuffed his mouth with a piece of sushi.

"Don't look at me. He was raised by a dwarf, so maybe they have some sort of secret to putting food away for later?" Genis replied.

Lloyd made an audible gulp and sighed as he laid his utensils down. "Now that's the way to eat! Definitely beats Dwarven potluck surprise any day." He looked up at his two fellow diners and was tempted to ask if they wanted the rest of their meals, but figured it would be impolite. "So what has your sis been up to lately, Genis? I haven't heard much of her since a few weeks ago."

"Well, she's been working on one of her theories for completely healing scar tissue to its original state. She tells me she's getting close, but will have it figured out soon enough. Even with all the lessons she gives me, I still don't fully understand how she does it." Genis leaned back in his seat as he took a sip of his drink. "It's one thing to memorize the periodic table, but a whole different thing to apply it to medicine!"

Lloyd laughed. "I can't even begin to imagine how that would work. I prefer more hands on things like tinkering with machines. It's especially fun to start from scratch and build something till it's the final product. Half of our stock is made up of things we got in kits and had to build from the ground up."

Colette watched the two and smiled content. She knew such things as engineering and chemistry was a bit far for her, but seeing her friends happy made it worthwhile to listen. "I want to thank you both again for earlier today. I don't know what would have happened had you not stopped by." She bowed her head in gratitude to the boys.

Lloyd waved away her bow and replied, "It's what friends do for each other, Colette. We'll always have your back, no matter what. We know you'd do the same for us!" Genis nodded in affirmation, causing Colette to giggle again.

"Still, I don't get why they hang around here. We've driven them out countless times now. Why do they keep coming back?" Genis pondered aloud.

Lloyd shrugged and fiddled with a toothpick that was given as a courtesy of the restaurant. "Dunno for sure, but its true they always find a way to sneak back in. There are a lot of gangs just like them, spread out all over the world. Some of them are recognized mercenary groups, and get by with what they do since they have an agreement with their resident city. Others, like the Desians, are nothing more than just a bunch of dolts trying to get attention for the wrong reasons. Every time you try to stamp them out, they come right back. They're like gnats, I swear."

Genis was about to add in when he noticed a hunched over figure hobbling towards them. His facial features and form were hidden by a raggedy brown cloak that looked frayed and worn. On its left side was a visible bulge, though it couldn't be identified. "Um…" he pointed behind Lloyd who turned and raised an eyebrow as the figure stumbled and stopped in front of them. "Can I help you?" Lloyd asked. His question went unanswered as the trio's guest suddenly collapsed to the ground, a loud clattering sound following with it. "Hey! Are you alright?" Lloyd shot up and knelt beside the now identified elderly man. His cloak had fallen away to reveal grey-white hair that was dirtied and cut short. Wrinkle lines were etched into his face, making him look gaunt and worn.

Lloyd words seemed to awaken the man again, who looked around him and seeing Lloyd, latched onto him with a trembling hand. His fingers were thin and bony, yet retained strength judging by how he pulled Lloyd to him. "Take it! Take it and run! They must not place their hands upon it!" A metal cube appeared from his cloak and he shoved it into Lloyd's hands. Lloyd was surprised to see it was lightweight, expecting it to be heavier. "What…?" Lloyd started to ask, but the elder shushed him.

"There's no time! He'll be coming for me soon. My road ends here, but yours still has yet to begin! Go, take it and run!" He shuffled to his feet and suddenly hobbled away at a faster pace than what would be expected of him. Lloyd watched him go, dumbfounded, before looking at the cube in his hands. It wasn't overly large, able to fit in his pocket. But looking at it in detail, Lloyd was amazed at how much work was put into it. The metal gleamed in the sunlight and was adorned with several symbols carved into it; colored with a silver-blue hue that he suspected had nothing to do with the sunlight. Lloyd could make out a few of them as being from the texts Dirk used to read in his shop, but could make little sense of them. He also saw several switches and knobs on the base of the cube.

"Lloyd? What the heck is it?" Genis asked as he got up with Colette to look at the object. "What did he want?"

Lloyd mulled over his options in his mind before speaking. "We need to go back to dad's shop. Something tells me it's not safe to talk about it here. Let's go." His tone was serious, and Genis immediately knew not to ask anymore. Leaving what they owed along with a fair tip, the trio quickly made headway for Dirk's shop.

"I've lost sight of the target. He may have tried to pass on the cube, but I cannot confirm. Should I continue pursuit?" On the other side of the street opposite the restaurant, a tall figure spoke into a small receiver on his wrist. He took care to stay out of sight from public view, kneeling behind a trash dumpster.

"If we lose the scientist, then the cube will be useless to us. Locate him and continue the mission. Once we have him, we can focus on the cube. However, should the opportunity show itself to obtain the cube in the course of pursuing him, retrieve it by all means necessary." The device answered with a calm, yet quick response.

"Understood." Switching the communicator off, the figure emerged from the shadows into the sunlight. Black fingerless gloves adorned hands that straightened out his black long sleeved jacket, the buttons undone to be more breathable. Beneath it, he wore a light grey long-sleeved shirt with a black vest overtop it, black pants complimenting his upper torso's ensemble. His boots were leather, with several latches stretching across them. At his side was a simple longsword, the hilt long enough for both of his hands to be used. To complete his look, atop his head was a simple top hat over his maroon hair, skewed to the side slightly with a cog pinned to the side. (**4**)Brownish-red eyes scanned the crowd as he merged himself within it. '_Now where will you hide?'_ he pondered to himself as he vanished into the public.

* * *

><p><strong>1. Colette's appearance will be posted on my profile. I felt this served her best for this story, since in game her looks are rather plain unless changed to one of the title costumes.<strong>

**2. Stands for "Meltokio Security Protection". Standard security machine one would expect to be used in place of a sentry dog or guard.**

**3. Carbon, Hydrogen, and Carbon-Iodide are the basic components for what we know today as Tear Gas. Genis' version is not so violent so much as used to disorient the target.**

**4.** …**I'm not gonna give away his name yet. I want to see if you can figure him out first. I will post his appearance reference on my profile though.**

**And the second chapter is complete! I'm truly enjoying this story so far. It's great as a break from solo work on Second Chance. So now the plot begins to move forward. What's in the cube that a random stranger would entrust it to Lloyd without a second thought? Who is it that's pursuing the cube? Who does he answer to?**

**You'll have to read and review to find out! Until next time!**


	3. Departure

**Well…darn it. And here I was hoping to at least make him a little mysterious. But no, you lot are sharp, very very sharp observers! That or I just made it too obvious…**

**Moving along, we enter chapter three of Tales of a Steamworld. Lloyd and his friends are now in possession of a strange cube, given to them by an odd old man whose being pursued by a mysterious (re: not mysterious) assailant. Can Dirk reveal for them any answers? Scroll on down to find out!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Namco does. If I did, I'm certain I wouldn't be in college, with that kind of money in hand.**

* * *

><p>"Well, you're back earlier than I expected, Lloyd. Ahhh, and you brought your friends too!" Dirk exclaimed as he saw the trio enter the shop. "Did you already run out of things to do?"<p>

Lloyd didn't answer, turning to lock the door and turn the Open sign to Closed. He glanced out beyond the windows, watching the passing crowds before turning away from them.

"Or you found something to do that I told you not to do, and now you're hiding for cover." Dirk sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Alright, Lloyd, what've you done now? Try to sneak into the saloon again? Pick a fight with another client? I still remember the time you fought someone for overcharging you for new equipment."

"Hey, it was a fair fight, and he'd overcharged me by 200 gald. That's not the point. Look," Lloyd stepped away from the window and approached the counter, setting the cube he'd been hiding in his pocket atop it. "I just came across an old man who looked to be halfway out of his mind, who handed me this. I've looked this thing over four times, and I've gotten nowhere. What can you make of it?"

Dirk noted the serious expression on his son's face, and looked to his friends to see they held no falsehood. "Alright, let's have a look here…" he picked up the cube in his hand and turned it over several times, feeling the smooth metal beneath his dwarven fingers. "The outer casing is high quality, strong metal. This is a step up from any sort of steel we've had our hands on, Lloyd. But Mithril's been nonexistent for years, and I know for a fact Thorium (**1**) can't be shaped in this form…" He turned it over to see the knobs and switches at the base. "What do we have here…?"

Lloyd kept quiet while Dirk studied the cube. He knew that it was best to let the dwarf work his thoughts out when investigating something new in his hands. It was how he always managed to dissect Lloyd's little creations after he finished putting them together. Genis and Colette had moved away to give the two space, with Genis moving to the window while Colette leaned against the opposite counter.

"I wonder if…" Dirk flicked one switch up and shifted a knob 45 degrees to the right. He gasped when a small slot opened above the switches, and looked closer. The opening had the same appearance as that of a basic socket to connect to another machine. But the question that followed that assumption was just as basic: What kind of machine would work? "Lloyd, I want you to bring me one of our power current testers. Maybe we can get an idea of how strong this little beauty is?"

Lloyd nodded and went up to his room, knowing he kept one for his own personal use. Digging past a few spare parts he'd abandoned during a previous project, he found the small device and came back down. "Here, dad. What are you thinking? Is it some kind of power source? Maybe a prototype for a new series?" His mind was bursting at the possibilities. It wasn't every day you were just handed an unknown technology.

"Patience, boy, patience. We'll see what we have in time. Now, let's see…" Dirk extended the small cord from the measure's base and looked again at the open slot. It did seem like it would fit…he heard a small click as the plug end he held slid into place. Then, deciding to try for luck, flicked one of the switches up into what he thought was an "on" position. "There. Now let's see just what we're dealing with here…" Dirk picked up the reader and held it up to see the gauge near the max mark. He whistled, impressed with the output. "Not bad at all! This thing's carrying quite a wallop for such a small package." He flicked the switch that had activated the current and turned back to Lloyd, who had picked up the reader after Dirk had set it aside.

"Whatever this is, I have to hand it to the crafter. Now if only I could figure out just what it does…" he trailed off, seeing Lloyd still looking at the current tester. "Does the number surprise you, Lloyd? Big things can come in tiny packages, you know. I'm proof of it."

Lloyd didn't answer, still looking down. His eyes blinked in disbelief. "Dad…it's still up."

Dirk blinked. "What's still up? The sun? The sky? What're you on about?"

Lloyd said nothing, but handed the tool to Dirk, who looked at the gauge again and did a double-take. As Lloyd said, the charge was still there, as if the reader was still plugged in. "But…how? Maybe it's defective?" Dirk suggested. "If it's a new type of technology, it could've easily overloaded the circuits inside this little trinket."

Lloyd shook his head. "Dad, you know as well as I do the only way to break a power-current tester is to open it and remove the parts. It's not smoking. It's not making any noise. It's still on. It's still charged."

Dirk looked up at his son, eyes narrowed in confusion. "But that…that's impossible!" He looked down at the tool again.

Colette spoke up, wanting to grasp what it was that had the two engineers stumped. "Why is it impossible? Does the electricity just stick around after awhile, maybe?"

Dirk shook his head to the negative. "Electricity don't work that way, lassie. To get a current flowing, you need to have a complete connection, from start to finish. What this little fellow here does is exactly that," he shook the tool, the insides rattling; "it forms a complete connection so we can see the output of energy from any of our machines. When you interrupt the connection, you interrupt the flow. No more energy. This…" he set the reader on the counter. "…this shouldn't happen, Colette. It defies science!"

All of them went quiet as they looked at the cube, pondering over the results. Genis glanced outside as he had been for the past few minutes and took notice of a figure standing across the street. His dark clothes made him stand out amongst the civilians, as much as the sword sitting at his side. Genis turned away and back to his friends. "So what should we do with it? Maybe pass it along to another engineer, see if they can crack it?"

Dirk closed his eyes in thought before turning to Lloyd. "Tell me everything about when you got your hands on this, Lloyd. Every little detail." So Lloyd went into the encounter at the diner, the appearance of the elderly man, and his words of warning. Dirk leaned back against the counter. "From the sound of it, he didn't want this little gadget to go anywhere public. And also, that someone else is after it." Dirk sighed again. "This is getting complicated. I hate it when things get complicated."

Genis chose that moment to speak. "If we're gonna talk about someone coming after it, I think he's already found us." The group blinked at Genis, who elaborated. "Listen carefully: Do not look out the window behind me. Dirk and Lloyd, look at Colette, and Colette, look at Dirk." When the three had done so, he continued. "There's a guy who has been standing on the other side of the street now for the past ten minutes. He hasn't moved, he hasn't left, and he's armed. He sticks out like a sore thumb. Dark clothes and a big sword at his side." Genis shivered for a bit. "And he certainly doesn't look like he's one to chat with."

Lloyd shifted to look at Genis, though he kept his body towards Colette's direction. "Do you think we could take him?" He asked.

"Doubtful. He scares me more than Raine on a bad day, Lloyd. And you know how terrifying that can be."

Lloyd nodded and looked to Dirk. "What should we do, dad?"

"Well, it's obvious of one thing, Lloyd. We're not giving this away to whoever it was that was looking for it. Especially that dark-clothed man outside. If I had to make a guess, he won't try to come into the store for it, if he's trying to be covert. He'll want to get it when no one is looking." Dirk picked up the cube and shifted the knob he had turned back the way it'd been before, reverting it to its regular state. He then held it up before giving it to Lloyd. "This is out of my league, boy. You're going to have to take this to someone else, someone bigger."

Lloyd pocketed the cube before seeing Dirk's serious expression. His eyes were blazing with determination…yet there was a trace of sadness in them as well. "What are you thinking?" he asked.

"You're going to take this to Palmacosta, Lloyd. To the Research Institute." Dirk stated the name with conviction in his voice. It was a slight blow to him to admit when a piece of machinery no bigger than his two fists put together was beyond him, but he knew not to let his pride get to him. "They got sharper minds than this old metalworker. They can likely crack just what this thing is."

Lloyd's eyes shot open in surprise. "But…that means leaving Iselia! Leaving you! I can't do that!" Lloyd shook his head. "I…I can't!"

Dirk walked up to his surrogate son and clapped him on the shoulder. "Lloyd, get ahold of yourself and shut your trap!" the barking order caused Lloyd to cease all signs of opposition. "You're nearly full grown now, boy. I've raised you here from a wee child to the strapping lad you are now. You're smart and quick-witted, and damn good with a pair of blades if I ever saw anyone try to do the same. But you can't stay here forever. There's a whole world out there waiting for you, Lloyd. I know that I've told you all you needed is here, but out there…there's so much to be found. I can't deny you that chance."

Lloyd was struck silent by the emotional speech his father was giving to him. "Dad…but what if something goes wrong? What if someone comes after you because you got involved?"

"Then let them come. They'll get to see the full wrath of a dwarven hand cannon face to face, and that's just the start of it. There's a reason dwarves were respected in the old days, lad. We may be small, but damn if we're not somethin' fierce!" Dirk grinned wolfishly at this, and Lloyd couldn't help the small smile that reached his face.

"I never did get to get inside that saloon of yours. I guess I won't get that chance now." Lloyd's voice was soft as he comprehended that he really was going to leave Iselia.

"Tell you what: you go out there, find out what the heck this is and get it in the proper hands? I'll personally walk you in, and introduce you to all the lads who I know there. I'll even buy you a round of the strongest beer they got." Dirk promised. He put a fist to his chest. "Dwarf's honor."

Lloyd turned to his two friends at this, and asked, "What about you two? I can't ask you to go with me on this. I won't put you two in danger if I can help it."

Genis and Colette looked to each other before turning back to Lloyd. "We're going with you." They both spoke at the same time, surprising Lloyd. "What? But you two don't have any reason to go!"

Genis sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "You always were the one to take a burden on your own. You're bright, but you can be so thick sometimes, Lloyd." Genis crossed his arms as he continued. "There's no way I'm gonna let you do this on your own. We've been partners in crime ever since we first met. From the start and on to the end, I'm gonna have your back, and you're gonna have mine."

Lloyd raised an eyebrow as he posed his next question. "And I suppose you have a plan for dealing with Raine when she finds out you've skipped town with me?"

Genis flinched, but regained his composure. "I'll uh…I'll think of something. After all, it wouldn't be hard for me to sneak out on her. It's just a matter of how far I'd get before she caught up. You leave that to me."

Colette chose then to speak her part. "I'm going too, Lloyd. You've been my best friend since we were grade schoolers. Frank and Phaidra both have always said to me that if I ever needed help to come to you. Well this time, it's you that needs my help, and I'm going to help. You'll need supplies, since it's a long journey just to get there. And you'll need money to get the transportation too. I have both, and I see nothing wrong with using them to help you."

Lloyd was touched by both of his friends' willingness to help. "Alright then. If it's what you both really want?" They nodded, smiles blazing. "Ok. But before we do anything, we need a plan, and a rock solid one at that. One to deal with our friend spying outside, one for getting out of town, and one that will handle anything caught up imbetween."

The four convened to further inside the shop, out of view from the outside. Their shadowed observer, seeing his targets move out of sight, chose to take this time to step out of sight himself, at least for now. He knew that the tech cube had come into the kids' hands at one point. The scientist had vanished again, elusive as he'd ever been since he had escaped the laboratory. His patience was starting to thin when it came to pursuing the scientist without harming him. Blast his master's orders; one good slice, and he would certainly not have to work hard to keep up.

'_This is why I'm a fighter. I don't need to think so much with how much I have to do to get something done.' _He began to walk away, heading down an alley to stay out of the public's eye. '_However…that boy…_' His eyebrows furrowed in thought. '_My instincts tell me there's something more to him. But I wonder…_' his thoughts were interrupted as he found himself to be alone no longer.

"Pardon us, good sir. Might you spare a gald for us poor men?" A band of Desians had decided to occupy the rest of the alleyway, and the swordsman knew their true intentions from how they eyed his sword. "Or perhaps your nice little blade there?"

He looked down at his blade and back to the men before him. He then did something he hadn't done in quite a few weeks. He smiled, and unhitched his sword from his waist to lean it up against a nearby wall. The shadowman turned back to the Desians, who watched him in confusion. "If you think you can take it…go on ahead." He stuck his hands in his pockets and waited to see what they'd do.

The afternoon soon bled to dusk, and the crowds faded to return to their homes for the evening to rest after a day of work or of play. They were so taken with returning home, no one paid heed to the pile of corpses sitting in the alleyway, neither had they seen the man in black walking away, sword in tow and hands still in his pockets. While he had walked away to his own devices, Colette and Genis left Dwarven Metal to rush home themselves, renewed with energy and the knowledge of an intricate and exciting plan. Within the shop itself, one could hear the sound of two engineers at work, driven by nervousness, danger, and the excitement of the coming dawn.

Tomorrow would be an interesting day for Iselia indeed.

* * *

><p><strong>The next day<strong>

Lloyd finished putting on his clothes and headed down to the storeroom to meet Dirk there, who'd still looked wide awake even though he'd spend all night working. The dwarf was taking a polishing rag to a pair of blades that lay side by side on the table before him. Lloyd whistled at their craftsmanship, drawing Dirk's attention away. "Ah, you're up. Right on time for once, too." Dirk nodded his head towards the blades. "I got you a present. Go ahead and pick them up, see what you think."

Lloyd walked to the table and gingerly picked one of the blades up by its handle. The guard was made up of a series of cogs, stacked on top of one another from largest to smallest. Above the guard, a fixture had been applied that Lloyd was confused with. It looked much like he'd taken the design of a flintlock pistol and broken it down, applying the flintlock portion to the blade. The rest was a regular sword, the steel shining and looking sharp as ever (**2**). "Dad, this is amazing. Where did you get the time to make this?"

"It's something that I've been working on for awhile now. But that's only half the package deal, boy. Take a gander at its partner." Lloyd set the first blade down and picked up the second. This one was as unique as its brother blade. The handle was basic wood, with a gold handle on its side that could be used for drawing the blade outside one's regular stance. The guard was made up in the likeness of a lion's head, crafted from steel that served as a counterweight for the rest of the blade. The metal steel of the sword itself was curved only slightly on one side, the opposite being straight. Attached to one side was a small steel tube, with an open end that looked like it would attach to another missing part. Turning it over, Lloyd saw a trigger lever he could reach while holding the blade with both hands (**3**).

"I don't understand…what exactly is this set called, dad? I've never seen this design on the markets or at any of the blade competitions that come through town." Lloyd watched as his father set aside his tools and turned to Lloyd, a smile present on his face.

"That right there, Lloyd, is a Dwarven Metal first and only ever design. I call them Requiem. I know that for awhile now, you've been using those swords of yours that you crafted from scratch. Now they are impressive, I will admit it. But they aren't very strong in terms of durability. A few good whacks from someone skilled, and they'd be broken, leaving you defenseless. These here," he gestured to the swords, "are much stronger. The steel I used is from our finest stock, refined and forged with as much strength as I could give it. Both are stronger than any blade that's walked out of our doors, that I can promise you." He paused to walk over and look the pair over before continuing.

"The additions you see on them both are what make them unique. The problem with you swordsmen is you can handle any opponent right in front of you, but what about someone who won't come near you? What do you do?" Lloyd tried to answer, but Dirk cut him off. "You get picked off till you're dead, that's what. So, I set out to solve that problem. What you have here, Lloyd, is what I call 'Gunblades'."

Lloyd's jaw dropped. "G-gunblades? You can't be serious?"

Dirk's jaw set as he nodded. "I'm as serious as serious can be. The ammunition used is your basic rounds, nothing too fancy. The guard here," Dirk picked up the second blade and lifted up the lion symbol, revealing a small chamber, "is where you'll store them. The only way for the weapon to fire them, however, is when you put the two together. That, you will have to learn on your own. We're short on time for the plan we agreed on." He picked up the second blade and handed them both to Lloyd.

Lloyd looked at them and sheathed them before looking at his father. "Dad…thank you. I promise I'll make you proud to give me these."

"I already am, boy. I had been planning to give you this when you turned into an adult…but this is as close as you'll ever get, I suppose, so I better give it to you now before I lose the chance." He nodded and clapped Lloyd on the shoulder. "You'll do fine, son. And I want you to know, you will always have a home here, no matter where you go in the world, alright? Remember that."

Lloyd's answer was to hug his father, holding him tight for a moment before releasing him. He walked over to a mirror nearby and attached the blades to his belt, giving himself a final once over.

He'd chosen to go with a new set of clothing that he'd gotten for his birthday last year from Colette, and he had to admit, it looked sharp. Black boots adorned his feet, the laces criss-crossing all the way to the top of the shoe. His pants were a charcoal grey, the ends fitting snugly into his boots. At his waistline, he had a belt looped around that had various slots in it for equipment of all types to be held. His swords were attached to two such clips, one on either side. Two overalls went up and over his shoulder, clipping on the backside to make sure the pants stayed in place. His shirt was a dark blue hue, long sleeved and fitting tightly to his form. His hands were protected by tough leather gloves that had their fingertips cut off for more mobility. All in all, he looked more an adventurer than a mere tinkerer (**4**).

A sudden thought struck Lloyd. "Hey, dad?" Dirk turned to Lloyd at his call. Lloyd reached into his pocket and pulled out a letter. "I need you to take this down to the postal office, and send it to Meltokio as soon as possible. I meant to send it beforehand, but with all this going on…"

Dirk nodded. "No problem, lad. I'll see to it straight away. Is this to who I think it is?" Lloyd nodded and Dirk grinned wolfishly. "Mighty funny for you to be sending so many letters. Is there something you're not telling me?"

Lloyd blushed lightly at the implication. "Dad! W-we're just friends! Really! Just send the letter, ok? I'm heading out." Lloyd hurried out the door before Dirk could tease him anymore.

The dwarf laughed to himself before looking down at the name on the letter. "Honestly, you'd think the lad could take a joke. Oh well…"he trailed off as he heard the door's bell sound. "…be safe, Lloyd."

The boy in question headed out from the shop and made his way towards the main district. He reviewed the plan in his head, and focused on the next step. '_Genis and Colette should've left by now as well…they should be probably halfway there. Now to find our little stalker friend…'_ Slowing his pace, Lloyd paused at a food vendor to pick up a small snack to chew on while walking, as well as giving himself a chance to try and view his surroundings without looking suspicious.

"What can I get for you, son?" the vendor eyes him up and down before speaking. "Need some grub for the road?"

"Yeah, you could say that. I'm going on a bit of a journey today, might need something to snack on while I'm traveling." Lloyd answered. He kept himself relaxed as he heard footsteps approach him from behind.

"Alright then, would you be interested in something sweet? Warm or cold foods?" the vendor questioned.

"Well, I'm in the mood for something simple. Have you got anything like that?" Lloyd asked. The man behind him stepped closer.

"Well, I do happen to still have some bagels fresh from the morning oven. Will that suit you, sir?"

Lloyd nodded. "I'll take one, thanks." The vendor reached into his storage beneath the small counter he did business from in his cart and hefted out a bagel using a napkin to keep his fingers from dirtying it. Before he could give it to Lloyd, both heard a voice behind Lloyd speak.

"Could you make it two? I'd like one myself." A deep tone rumbled behind Lloyd, and he held in a shiver. He knew who it was. No one else had been on the street behind him as he had approached the vendor.

"Of course, sir, coming right up." A moment later, the peddler handed both Lloyd and the man in black their items. "That will be 200 gald each, please." Lloyd reached to his pockets to get his money, but his stalker beat him to it. "Allow me, I'm feeling generous today." The ringing of metal coins was heard as the shadow figure's hands shook the money. He laid it on the counter before following Lloyd as he walked on.

Lloyd didn't acknowledge his presence at first, wanting to let him speak first. His shadow seemed to pick up on this and finally said, "So you're going on a journey, eh? Where do you plan to go?"

"Oh, you know, here and there. I have a few friends who live outside of Iselia who I haven't seen in a long time." Lloyd took a bite of the bagel and swallowed before continuing. "And what about you? I appreciate you buying for me, but it wasn't necessary."

"As I said, I was feeling generous. I'm just a drifter through here, and figured I could do someone a good deed. 'Do unto others as you wish to be treated', I believe the saying goes?" Lloyd knew better than to be deceived by the kind words.

"That is true, thank you. Though not everyone is kind enough to follow that saying. So why did you choose to drift through Iselia? There isn't much here to be seen compared to the bigger cities." The two were entering the main district now, several businesses opening their doors with customers window shopping as usual. A pair of officers was chatting with each other at one of the lamp posts, both paying little heed to their surroundings.

"Hmm…I suppose you could say that I grew weary of them. Nothing but aristocrats and royals who look down on all the ones who don't have as much money or prestige as they do. I'm simply a man who's out looking for the values in life, you could say."

Lloyd raised an eyebrow at this. "And what would you consider to be the 'values' in life?"

"Well, I would say they're the same as yours, perhaps: family, home, money…" he trailed off as he stopped walking. "…technology."

Lloyd stopped too when the man finished speaking. '_So he finally gets down to the gist of it. I was wondering when he'd finally get to it.'_ "And what kind of technology are we talking about here? There's plenty to be found here. All sorts of engineers, tinkerers, mechanics to talk to. You'd have your pick of the litter."

"Oh no, I'm looking for a very specific type of technology. It hasn't been seen by the world yet, but I hear it's going to take the world by storm. A new type of power source that outshines coal, steam, and wind combined. Imagine the implications it would have if someone were to find it out here in the world." The dark-clothed man grinned, something that put Lloyd immediately on guard.

(**Music Cue-Marital Sabotage by Hans Zimmer**)

Neither spoke for a time, staring each other down in silence. The wind blew a small breeze that ruffled their clothing, the shadow man casting a shadow over Lloyd's form due to his body blocking the sun rising behind him.

"What's your name?" Lloyd asked finally, looking behind him to see Genis and Colette enter the area. They saw Lloyd first, and then saw his stalker. They froze and started to move to the side, keeping out of sight.

"I've got several I've gone by. But for you…you can call me Kratos. It's a pleasure." The now identified Kratos gave a bow, taking his hat off and bending at the waist before coming back up, hat on his head. "And I believe you have something I've been looking for." Genis and Colette kept out of view, though Lloyd kept his eyes on Kratos, watching his friends from his peripheral. Genis seemed to be fiddling with something in his bag while Colette looked around.

Lloyd scratched at his head, giving his best impression of seeming uninterested. "Me? Having something like that? Where would I find something as important as what you're talking about?" He pretended to have a sudden idea. "Maybe you should try the Stillsman brothers? They were telling me the other day they improved on their systems with some type of new energy."

Kratos' eyebrow rose in mock curiosity, and he decided to humor the boy before him. There was nowhere for him to run after all, being right in arm's reach. "And what, pray tell, did they find?"

Genis threw his arm back before chucking an object in Lloyd's direction. Lloyd chuckled as it drew near. "I think they said something about…smoke?"

Before he could reply, Kratos heard a loud crashing of glass and metal behind him before his vision was obscured by white fog, causing him to growl and try to stumble out of it to clear his sight. To his surprise, the fog actually followed him, and he discovered that his clothing was suddenly wetter, specifically on his backside. While struggling with his sudden handicap, Lloyd took his chance to escape, running to Genis and Colette who were waving him over before the trio took off, heading for the train depot at the eastern border.

"I thought Raine got rid of that batch of bombs?" Lloyd asked.

"Do you think I'd let such a genius bomb just go down the drain? Besides, I memorized the formula to make it before she could throw away the blueprints. Pretty handy, don't 'cha think?" Genis grinned and Lloyd nodded. "It won't last long, though."

Behind them, Kratos shrugged off his jacket that still had the smoke bomb's fluids and threw it away from him, ridding him finally of the smoke cover. He saw his targets were fleeing to the east, and found he was smiling despite his frustration. "It's been too long since I've had a good chase. Let's see what these children can do." He took off after them, leaving behind the confused crowds who had seen the smoke and were curious to what was happening.

Up ahead, Lloyd and his friends reached the residential area of the Eastern district. This was filled with more of the lesser quality homes, many built out of either wood or rock taken from the ground. A few had some quality additions of windows or a balcony, but it was their only redeeming feature. The roads were mostly empty, which confused Lloyd slightly. "I know it's early, but where is everyone? Isn't this district usually full of kids running around?" he looked down one alleyway, but found nothing but trash dumpsters and scraps.

"Don't know. I don't remember there being any events today, except for…" Genis trailed off as they turned down another road, only to come to a full stop. Banners and streamers were visible as far as the eye could see. A festive air could be heard as laughter and enjoyment radiated from the road before them. "…the Harvest festival…" Genis finished. "We can't get through! They're blocking the way!"

Colette looked behind them, and gasped as she saw the tall figure of Kratos racing after them. "He's catching up! We need a way around them!"

Lloyd looked around, trying to find a way through the crowd, but failed to see an opening. They could go through, but they would easily be separated, and if they were, Kratos could pick them off, one by one. Looking to his right, Lloyd saw one of the houses had left their doors open. "Come on!" He dashed for the doorway, Colette and Genis right behind him. They burst in, surprising an elderly woman who had been about to walk out. "Sorry ma'am, emergency!" Lloyd spouted as he made for the stairway to the upper level. His friends spouted similar apologies as they followed after him.

Reaching the balcony of the house, Lloyd looked to his right and saw a small ladder leading to the roof. "Here we go! We'll take to the roofs!" He turned to his friends who emerged from the doorway. "Colette, you first. Genis, you go after her." Colette went to the ladder and started to climb before turning to the two boys. "Um…could you look away for a moment?"

Lloyd blinked at the odd request. "What? Why?"

Colette blushed in embarrassment and slight anger. "I'm wearing a skirt, Lloyd…"

Lloyd blushed and turned away to hide his slightly red face. "Good point! Sorry! Continue!" Genis simply laughed at Lloyd's expense, having been turned away the whole time, keeping an eye out for Kratos. Colette was at the top a moment later, and Genis followed her. Lloyd kept watch and found he couldn't spot their pursuer, though it didn't bring him relief. "Where did he go…?"

Genis got off the ladder and turned to tell Lloyd to climb up when all three of them suddenly saw a hand appear on the ledge. "Lloyd, behind you!" Lloyd turned to see Kratos swing himself up to their level before landing on the balcony, which creaked under his weight.

"You didn't think it would be that easy, did you? Now then, the cube please?" He held out his hand before Lloyd. "If you give it to me now, I'll consider letting your little trick go and spare you your lives."

Lloyd's response was to rush forward and throw a right hook for Kratos' jaw, which he blocked by catching his fist in his other hand before bringing up his left to jab Lloyd in the stomach, causing him to grunt in pain. Kratos followed up by throwing the swordsman into the wall, holding him in place. "You've got spunk, boy, but no brains. Don't you know to respect your elders?"

"Lloyd!" Both Genis and Colette could only watch as their friend was restrained.

Lloyd growled before replying, "And don't you know to never get cocky in a fight?" He brought his foot up and caught Kratos with a knee to his abdomen, making the auburn-haired man double over, releasing Lloyd who followed up with an uppercut, causing Kratos to stumble back to the balcony's railing. While he was disoriented, Lloyd took his chance and climbed the ladder. "Just keep running, and don't look down!" he yelled as the trio ran to the edge of the roof before leaping, clearing the small gap and landing. They continued the process for several leaps, covering a lot of ground and getting by the Harvest Festival activities.

However, their route soon cut off as they landed on the last building at the end of the residential area, the business sector sprawling out beneath them. In the distance, Lloyd could see the train depot, their ticket out of Iselia and away from Kratos. "We're almost there, guys, just a little further!" He looked around the roof for a ladder, but before long discovered there was none, nor was there a balcony. "Ok…now how do we get down?" he pondered aloud.

Genis looked behind them and gasped. "We better figure it out fast, because he's coming back!" He pointed to the racing figure of Kratos, who was clearing the rooftops much quicker than they had.

Lloyd looked down to the side and saw a passing caravan loaded up with various vegetables no doubt from the Harvest Festival. The driver was moving at a slow pace, relying on mere beasts of burden for transportation instead of anything modern. "We'll have to jump. Aim for the food cart and we should be fine."

Genis looked over the edge and gulped. To his viewpoint, the leap was quite a good few feet. "Are you sure we can do that?" he asked fearfully.

"Unless you think we can talk our new friend out of hunting us, then yes, I'm sure." Lloyd smiled at his friend to try and reassure him. Thinking ahead, Lloyd decided he would have to try and buy them some time to reach the train, judging by how fast Kratos was approaching. He took the cube from his pocket before turning to Colette. "Colette, take this and go with Genis. I'll buy you both some time." He placed it in her outstretched hand before turning away and drawing his swords. "Get down from here and get on that train, no matter if I'm with you or not. You can't let him have it, you got that?"

Colette nodded, though she was afraid for her friend. "What about you? We can't just leave you here!"

"Out of all of us, I'm the only one who can even match up with him in a fight. Even if it's only for a short time, it's time to get you two to safety and to get that cube away from him, and whoever it is he's working for." He turned and saw his friends staring at him, and he gave them a smile. "I promise, I won't let him beat me. I'll be on that train. Now, go!" he waved them off as Kratos launched over the last roof and onto theirs. He was panting now, but he regained his composure at seeing his target before him.

"Out of places to run? How sad. It was a fun chase, but fruitless in the end. Now then, the cube, if you will?" He held out his hand in waiting. "You've led me on quite the chase today, I'll give you that. But it ends here. Now hand it over!"

Lloyd only smiled and shook his head. He glanced to the side and saw the food cart was now passing by the building. "Genis, Colette, go!" His exclamation threw the two into action, and they leapt off the building's side, drawing Kratos' attention away from Lloyd. The two soared through the air for several seconds before landing in two loud thumps onto the cart, causing it to bounce off the ground before coming back down. Lloyd saw the two emerge from the pile of watermelons, looking slightly shaken but ok.

Kratos growled and turned to go after them, but stopped at hearing Lloyd speak. "If you want to go after them, you'll have to get through me, pal. And trust me, I don't back down easily." He turned back to face Lloyd, who had his swords drawn and in his ready stance. Kratos couldn't help but to smile. "You indeed have more spunk than I thought. And you're noble to sacrifice yourself for your friends." He drew out his blade and held it before him. "A shame that you're too late to realize that being noble earns you nothing but a swift death." He charged Lloyd, who ran forward to meet him. Their blades met with a loud metal crash, drawing attention from some of the passersby below.

Lloyd held his position for a moment before bringing up his second sword to try and bash at Kratos' side, only for him to push him back and twist his body to parry his attack. Thrown off balance, Lloyd grimaced as he felt the sting of pain hit him as Kratos slashed across his side. It wasn't deep by any means, but would serve as an annoyance once his adrenaline wore off. Lloyd focused back on the fight and tried for a few short thrusts and strikes to try and throw his opponent off balance. It did little good, only serving to keep Kratos from attacking to focus on deflecting and parrying his blows.

"Do you really think you can overcome me in terms of swordsmanship? I was marking my first kill when you were but a baby in diapers, boy. What can you hope to achieve against someone like me?" Kratos taunted him, trying to get him angry to make him trip.

To Lloyd's credit, he didn't let the verbal assault faze him. Bringing his blade in a fierce downward slice, Lloyd finally paused in his assault as Kratos held him in place. "Just who are you anyway? Why are you so hell-bent on getting this thing? I don't even know what it does!" Lloyd stepped forward and, taking a risk, suddenly rolled forward and rammed Kratos with the pommel of his sword. Kratos grunted and stepped back, patting the area he'd been hit at before looking back at Lloyd.

"Your ignorance is profound. That cube is something the likes of which this world has never seen before, something that it is completely unprepared for. If you only understood its importance." Kratos brought his blade up and rushed forward, putting Lloyd on the defensive. His attacks came swift and hard, from all directions, putting Lloyd at a disadvantage. He saw an opening and struck, batting away Lloyd's sword before lashing out with his fist, striking Lloyd in his face. Lloyd wasn't expecting the blow, and fell back to the ground, his swords clattering at his side and feet. Lloyd could feel the edge of the roof pressing against his neck, and realized that he was truly cornered.

"It's over. Submit defeat, and I'll grant you a swift death." Kratos held his blade at Lloyd's neck, pushing enough to keep Lloyd on the ground, immobile. Lloyd's eyes looked frantically around him, trying to find a way out. Seeing none, Lloyd closed his eyes and sighed before opening them to look at Kratos. His body was sore, the long run and short fight taking its toll on him. He could feel one of the new blades his father had given him resting against his foot.

"Tell me two things before you kill me." Lloyd stated quietly, looking into Kratos' eyes. The auburn-headed swordsman considered the request before nodding, thinking it was Lloyd's last request. "First…just who is it you're working for? Who would send a skilled fighter like you for a little machine like that?"

"Does it really matter? You'll be dead for all the good that information will do for you." Lloyd's eyes did not waver in their determination, and Kratos decided to grant him an answer. "If you must know…I serve the Cruxis organization, as the gun who serves the man who will bring about a new world. Does this satisfy you?"

Lloyd's eyes widened at these words. '_He serves Cruxis? I should've guessed they would have a hand in this…'_ "Yes, it does. Thank you for answering my question." Lloyd's foot twitched toward his fallen sword.

"And what of your other request? Or have you not the strength to ask it anymore, knowing who it is you face?" Kratos asked. He was surprised to see Lloyd's smile, and hear him chuckle. "I'm afraid I must ask what you find so funny."

"That's easy." Lloyd laughed as he felt his foot lift the blade up. "Has anyone ever told you…" his eyes suddenly widened, and Kratos fought back a shiver, "…that you talk too damn much?" Lloyd's foot kicked up, tossing the blade into the air as Lloyd grabbed Kratos' sword, moving it away from his throat as he raised himself up. Kratos was thrown off as he avoided being sucker-punched by the flying sword, stepping back. It was too late as he realized he let down his guard. He looked up to see Lloyd jumping up and grabbing the sword in the air, the sun shining behind him.

"And for the record, Kratos, my name is not 'boy', its Lloyd Irving!" Lloyd brought the sword down with all the strength he could muster. Kratos' eyes widened at hearing his name, though his body acted on instinct and raised his sword to defend. But his will was weakened this time around, and it showed as Lloyd pushed him back and thrust his sword forward, striking at his cheek and leaving a semi-deep slash. Kratos grimaced and stepped back, feeling the blood running down his cheek.

Lloyd took this chance to run, picking up his blades and sheathing them before leaping off the side. Below, a vendor's canopy greeted him, and he rolled off it onto the ground before breaking into a sprint, heading for the train depot. Kratos watched him, not giving chase as his opponent fled. "Lloyd Irving…" he whispered as he saw the boy's figure become a dot in the distance.

Reaching the station, Lloyd looked around to try and find his friends. He grew frantic, but felt relief as he saw the two waving from an open window of a compartment of a nearby train. The locomotive in question was the standard Trans-Continental Aselia line, a train that traversed across the entirety of the Sylvarant continent, from Iselia to Palmacosta, all the way to the Hima mountains. It was a sight to see, each train car painted an oak brown with green and red accents, the emblem of a large tree crafted onto each car. Lloyd never really understood what the tree represented, and right now, he could care less. He ran over to where his friends were, hearing the conductor calling for last boarders as the train was leaving. His sides stung, his lungs ached, and his body was sore, but he'd made it.

"Lloyd, you're alright! We were worried about you!" Colette exclaimed as the swordsman stepped aboard and entered the compartment. He quickly entered and shut the door, locking it in place before taking a seat, sighing as he felt his body catching up with himself. "What happened?"

Lloyd smiled at the two and answered, "What does it look like? I held him off to give you two time to escape, then got away myself. I only just escaped though. Damn, was he strong!" Lloyd winced as he felt his side sting in reply, reminding him of the fight.

"You're hurt! We need to take care of it before you get infected. Wait here!" Genis ran out of the compartment and vanished, leaving Colette and Lloyd alone. Lloyd unclipped the swords at his sides and set them beside him before unbuttoning his shirt to look at his injuries. He had a few bruises and light scratches, but was mostly unharmed. The slash that Kratos had gotten on him was still bleeding partially, staining the white undershirt he wore beneath his blue long sleeve shirt.

"Is the cube safe?" Lloyd questioned. Colette nodded and walked over to her seat, pulling out her bag and opening it to pull out the cube in all its glory. "Yep, safe and sound. We did it!"

Lloyd nodded and sighed again. The cool compartment was a welcome relief to the hot sun outside. He heard footsteps outside and looked up to see Genis returning, only with someone in tow he was not expecting.

"Raine! What are you doing here?" Lloyd asked as she entered the compartment before closing and locking the door.

"There's a time for that later. Let's have a look at that injury of yours. Genis, bring me my kit." Her younger brother nodded and pulled out a black bag that Lloyd knew belonged to Raine. He saw her carry it everywhere she went, at the market or when she stopped by the shop with Genis. She opened it and retrieved two flasks containing different liquids. One was clear while the other was more like a sort of goo, barely moving as the flask shook.

"Hold still while I apply this. It will sting, but it's to make sure nothing infects you." Lloyd braced himself, and held back the grunt of pain as she dabbed at his wound with the liquid, using a provided cloth given by Colette. "Good, there's no infection. I'll bandage you up and you should be alright, provided you don't move around too much." She had Lloyd stand up as she applied some medical gauze to his side, taking two slips of tape and making sure it stuck to his side. Once she was finished and he redressed, she packed her bag back up and sat it on a table that was provided in every compartment.

"Thanks, Raine. I would've been in some trouble without you." Lloyd bowed his head in gratitude.

"It's no problem. I am a doctor first and foremost, you know. Now then…" her eyes took a sharp glint to their appearance and Lloyd gulped. "…would you care to tell me why you, Genis, and Colette are all fleeing Iselia?"

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><p><strong>1. Borrowed from WoW, as I needed some more metal ore types instead of just what we have in game.<strong>

**2. Steampunk-styled sword, found on DeviantArt. Credit for the design goes to TamonteN, and the link for the image will be on my profile.**

**3. Gunblade based off a Spanish Gunblade design, found by luperus on DeviantArt. A link will be provided on my profile.**

**4. Lloyd's outfit will be linked on (yep, you guessed it) my profile. Linking things on here is troublesome, messes up the text.**

**And that's it for chapter 3! An exciting rush of danger, thrills, and sending the cast off to Palmacosta! I really enjoyed writing the chase scenes; they're always fun to do.**

**So now we know who Kratos works for…what can Cruxis use this little cube for? World domination? A superweapon?** **Something else evil villains like to do when they use advanced technology?**

**I hope to hear plenty of feedback from you all. I may seem like I'm begging for reviews, but I always open my ear (or perhaps it's open my eyes) to what my readers say or write. So please, tell me what you think! Read and Review!**


	4. Palmacosta

**Alrighty, time for Chapter 4! Wait, I'm updating again? Already? Holy crap.**

**The story progresses, with our heroes heading for the capital of Palmacosta. What will they find inside the grand city? Adventure? Mayhem? Perhaps some spare food after the long trip? And what of their pursuer? You'll just have to read on to find out, so on you go!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, as it is Namco's property. If I did, I would be working on a Tales of Symphonia 3! With Kratos returning and lots of fighting and…and…I'll just shut up now.**

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><p>The train cabin was stable and barely moved as the train moved along its tracks, the rattling of the wood and steel rails below barely heard as the cabin had been designed to muffle outside noise. The sun was fully out now, highlighting the blue sky it shone from. A measly cloud would come along to try and muffle the brightness, but would drift aside in short order, returning the sunlight to its full glory.<p>

Inside the train, Lloyd wrapped up his tale of the recent couple of hours, including Dirk's analysis of the cube, and their being pursued by Kratos. Raine sighed and finally spoke after the nearly hour long tale. "So to summarize, you found some sort of unknown technology that not even Dirk knows what to do with, capable of things you don't understand, and you're being pursued by a swordsman mercenary who works for Cruxis behind closed doors?"

Lloyd nodded. "That's the gist of it. Dad figured Palmacosta would be the best shot we have of trying to find out just what this does." Lloyd reached into his pocket to pull out the mystery object. "I hope they can give me some answers for all this trouble. It has to be something big judging from how much effort Cruxis is putting out to keep it quiet and under wraps."

"And how do you know that he works for Cruxis? This is a man who flat out attacked you, and while it's strange indeed, it could actually be his for all you know. He might be just throwing that name around to try and show off, or to scare you into cooperating." Raine said.

Lloyd shook his head. "Something tells me he was telling the truth. Even if he is our enemy, during our fight, he didn't try to deceive me or lie. This is strange for a guy who is supposed to be keeping this sort of thing quiet."

"I don't suppose it's too much to hope that he dropped a business card or something to put him with Cruxis. Going off of one's words alone is risky. If you were to be caught and tried to say it was Cruxis' doing, you'd have little support or sympathy." Raine tucked a strand of hair back behind her ear. "But you've always been known for your honesty, Lloyd, so I won't say I don't believe you. I just need more proof is all."

"If we run into him again, I'll make sure to have him sit down and chat with you." Lloyd remarked, causing Raine's eye to twitch before she leaned over and rapped him on the head. Rubbing at the sore spot, Lloyd looked out the window at the passing countryside. The speed of the train made the passerby fields of grain mesh together into a solid ocean of movement and color. Sometimes, livestock were seen out grazing in the field, much to Colette's delight. "I've never traveled outside of Iselia, Professor. Do you know what Palmacosta is like?"

Raine turned to gaze outside as well as she answered. "It's a coastal city, and being one of our main points of trade between us and the Tethe'alla continent, is chock full of people of all kinds. It's big enough to make Iselia look like only a traffic stop. I've visited it a couple times with Genis when my research called for it, or for an evaluation of my license as a medical practitioner. Unless I have to go to Meltokio itself, which would be a very rare occasion."

Lloyd cocked an eyebrow. "Why would they need to keep evaluating you? Isn't it enough if you prove yourself once to them?"

"It's not so much a question of skill as application, Lloyd. They want to make sure their resources are being put to good use in the world, or in shorter terms, making them money. I have to show them that my ideas are a profitable resource for them, thus why I have to show them my progress. Lately though, I've hit a bit of a wall. I've gotten ahead enough in my work that I could hold them back for a couple more times, but I'll need to step it up soon to stay on track." Raine's gaze became softer. "It's what pays for me and Genis living in Iselia, after all. Without that, we'd be on the street."

Lloyd nodded in understanding. Dirk had experienced financial troubles himself before, telling them to Lloyd to teach him as well. His ingenuity with machines kept him afloat though, and with enough time, a comfortable spot to sit on without worry of going bankrupt. "Don't worry Professor; you've got us backing you up. And besides that, you're way smarter than any of us are. You'll knock them off their feet for sure."

Raine smiled at his words. "Thank you, Lloyd. It's always good to know someone's looking out for us." She looked down the tracks to see the large walls of the city come into view. "We'll be arriving soon." She turned to the group of children with her. "Make sure you pack everything up good and tight. Pickpockets often run rampant in cities like this, no matter how secure they are from harm outside their walls. I'll take care of finding us a place to stay in while we're here. Does anyone object to a hotel?" Receiving no negative answers, she nodded. "It's settled then."

The rest of the ride was relatively quiet as they waited to arrive, and their wait soon ended as they felt the train slow considerably. Lloyd took to the window to see the outside world one last time as they entered through the opening in the wall meant for the train to pass through. Light turned to darkness for only a moment as they passed through the wall before emerging once more, now within the city limits. Lloyd couldn't help the small gasp that left his throat, while Colette herself exclaimed at the sights before them. Genis smiled as he looked too, remembering his own reaction the first time he'd come.

The streets sprawled for what looked like miles before them, each lined with buildings of all shapes, colors, and styles. Some Lloyd could recognize as being of brick and stone, others of purely wood. More still were pure metal, with spouts and chimney stacks like he saw at Genis' home. Lines of wires ran down between some of the houses, with some being used as purely laundry lines while others seemed to be hooked up to machinery. Every street was paved with smooth cobblestone, and carriages drawn by horse ran down many of the roads. As they came further in, Lloyd could make out more.

Raine had been right about the hodgepodge of people who would live here. Lloyd recognized many of the faces and skins as being of Sylvarant descent, but others showed Tethe'allan qualities, with pale faces, sharper faces, and richer quality clothing. The higher class folk were easy to pick out; being dressed in what Lloyd considers outfits meant only for formal occasions. Imagining himself done up like them, Lloyd let a chuckle out as he looked onwards. In a large square, children played and gathered around a large fountain, made up of statues that represented heroes from ages past. One statue had a swordsman aiming his sword for the sky, and water shot from it down to the pool below.

Surrounding the fountain, vendors provided food and refreshments, toys for the kids and newspapers and novels for the adults. Some of them were engineers and tinkerers like himself, putting up crafted products for sale. Lloyd reasoned they would have more appeal in an open space like the square instead of just on a passerby road. He could see himself opening a stand for his own shop, full of inventions of his own design. "Wow…"Lloyd finally said, and both Raine and Genis smiled a knowing smile to each other.

The train pulled into its station, and the group of four stepped off and into the busy depot. Lloyd supposed the heavy foot traffic was due to it being close to noon, a time for breaks and for visiting and socializing. "Everyone stay together! We don't want to get separated and lost in this city!" Raine called out through the surrounding chatter, drawing Lloyd back to the matter at hand. Keeping one hand on his sword and the other on his pack, he followed Raine as she led them out and into the streets.

"Now then, since we're here, we can get to work. I'll see to finding rooms for all of us to stay in while we're here. I'll pay for it, since I have been here before and I'm registered as a visitor on Meltokio's payroll." Raine said, fishing for her coin purse from her pockets.

"Professor, are you sure? We can cover for ourselves if you don't want to. We don't want to make you pay for anything you don't have to." Lloyd asked.

"Nonsense, Lloyd. This won't cost me a thing. Meltokio will foot the whole bill for us." She waved away his money he'd been pulling out. "While I'm doing this, why don't you and Colette go with Genis and tour the city some? I can meet back with you…" she pulled out a pocket-watch to check the time, "…we'll say at 2:00, at the main square. Just stick with Genis, and he'll get you there no problem."

Genis nodded, smiling broadly. "I'll show you all the best sights here. Come on!" He grabbed Lloyd and Colette's hands, dragging them away into the crowd. Raine soon lost their forms to the populace, and chuckled to herself before going out to find the hotel she frequented while here.

* * *

><p><strong>Palmacosta Streets<strong>

Away from her, the trio was soon immersed in the pleasures and sights of the city. All around them, people walked, talked, dealt, haggled, laughed, and enjoyed themselves. More than once, they found themselves watching a demonstration of a craftsman's work. Lloyd was particularly fascinated by one inventor's idea of a fighting robot, though he was disappointed almost straight away as it was meant for fist-fighting, not for swordsmanship. He moved on from there, soaking up all the machines and creations before him, and crafting new ideas of his own.

"I've never seen Lloyd so focused and quiet before. It almost makes you think that he's…thinking!" Genis teased, drawing a scowl from Lloyd and a giggle from Colette. "But I can't blame him. Palmacosta is on a whole different level than Iselia. Living here, you get a peek into all the world's goods, not just what's nearby you."

"You're right. I've seen a lot come through my shop to be repaired or sold, but things like this," Lloyd pointed at an advertised so called "mechanical assistant", which turned out to be a clockwork machine designed in a humanoid form, "I've never seen before. It's like rediscovering old blueprints all over again!"

"If Phaidra ever wanted to expand, I'd want it to be like this. But all the same, I prefer Iselia's style of life. All these people would be customers, and we'd never know anything quiet ever again!" Colette said. Lloyd nodded at this. Iselia may be smaller, but it still carried a rustic charm, as well as that of being home. It didn't need any improvements; it was fine the way it was. Looking around, he saw that a good portion of the crowd was gathered around a large stage, with banners strewn across it reading, "Come see Meltokio's finest machinery! Wonders and Miracles await!"

"Let's have a look at this one here. A lot of people sure do seem interested in it." Lloyd suggested. His friends agreed and the trio walked over to view the so called marvels at work. Squeezing their way in, the trio managed to get into the front row view, and looked up on the stage at a man they assumed was the promoter. He was dressed in black and white striped pants, made of a very fine cloth that seemed to shine in the light. His shirt was a charcoal color, yet seemed to have been dusted with white powder to give it a lighter look. Overtop it was a similar shaded jacket, with a pocket-watch and chain dangling from his chest pocket. His hands were gloved in black leather, though it wasn't the same leather used by craftsman so much as political or government officials to look smart (**1**). The bit that stood out most about the man was the hair atop his head, a flaming red color that looked to be styled and hung well beneath his shoulders.

"Welcome, one and all, to the Meltokio Incorporated Exhibition!" He waved his hands in a grand gesture, and streamers and confetti shot out behind him. "Here, we bring to you the latest innovations of your favorite corporation, whether it's for the home, outdoors, your shop, or even yourself!" He looked away in a dramatic fashion, striking a pose by putting a hand to his chin and letting the wind blow his hair behind him. "Of course, some of them are not as amazing as me, your presenter and friend, Zelos Wilder!" He smiled a bright smile for good measure, and Lloyd could've sworn one of his teeth actually gleamed in the light.

All around the trio, women of all ages sighed and swooned over the display. "One of the most eligible bachelors this side of the world!" one claimed. "I once got to shake his hand. I didn't wash it for a whole week after that!" Another testified. Lloyd and Genis could only sweatdrop at the descriptions of the man before them. "I think these people have gone a little bit mental…" Lloyd muttered to his friend.

With a flourish, the man on stage reached behind him to one of the machines on display. "Behold!" In the palm of his hand was a rectangular shaped device, fashioned in bronze with light steel attachments. A long rod extended from one side (**2**). "Imagine, if you will," Zelos began to pace on stage, device in hand. "You're out and about in the world, all on your own, when you suddenly realize: a dear friend's birthday is today! But how can you reach him so far away? A letter will take days beyond his or her birthday, a telegram just the same. Not to mention you're so far away, it's as if you'd gone to be a hermit in some country-field!" the crowd laughed at this, while Lloyd and co. did not, seeing as they were indeed from such a place.

"Needless to say, this little device will prove most handy in that situation! This right here, ladies and gentlemen, is a communication device as mobile as you! Now, unfortunately, it isn't quite ready yet, but in due time, it will be. Wouldn't want to electrocute your mind while you're talking, now would we?" The crowd laughed again.

"This guy's one big showoff…"Genis muttered aloud. Several people glared at him, but he paid them no heed.

"He does a good job advertising though. It's enough to get people's attention." Colette defended the man, having worked on advertising herself for her family's shop.

Zelos put the device down and approached the edge of the stage. "Now, for my next presentation, I'm going to need a volunteer." He made a show of looking out at the audience, craning his neck and shielding his eyes from the sun. "A young, strapping tough lad, one who thinks he's good in a fight." Lloyd blinked as he realized he looked just like that. As if in response to the thought, the people surrounding him suddenly stepped back and away, effectively marking him out. "Genis, Colette, the hell!" Lloyd spluttered.

"Well, he did say he was looking for a young guy…and you are good in a fight!" Colette explained.

Zelos took notice of Lloyd's objections, and thought he was trying to get his attention. He figured the boy would do well for it. "You there, in the blue with the swords!" Zelos called to Lloyd, who froze before turning to him. He pointed a finger at himself, and Zelos exclaimed, "Yes, you! Don't be shy! Come on up!" Lloyd looked around before sighing; deciding that he would just have to see what was going to happen. Lloyd climbed a small set of stairs beside the stage and approached Zelos.

"Yes, you will do perfectly! Now, what's your name, kid?" Zelos sat back a moment waiting for Lloyd to answer only to cut him off. "Wait, I bet I can guess it!" He moved close to Lloyd and pretended to "scrutinize" him, causing the audience to laugh at Lloyd's discomfort. "Your name is…Bud! Of course! So simple!" Lloyd growled as the audience laughed more, eating the act up.

"My name's not Bud, it's Lloyd!" but his protests fell on deaf ears as Zelos continued, tuning him out.

"Well, Bud, you're going to help me demonstrate this little gizmo today." Zelos held up a small piece of what looked to be jewelry for the crowd to see. "You see, we live in dangerous times, folks. Sometimes you just need to have something on hand to protect yourself with, should someone say, try to rob you." He then turned to Lloyd, and said, "Bud, I want you to come at me like you're going to rob me. You're approaching me on a dark, dreary night, and I'm all alone, on a street corner."

Lloyd popped his knuckles as the promoter spoke. "Could I make it assault instead?" he asked candidly.

Zelos felt himself sweatdrop at the question. "Er…sure! Whatever floats your boat, Bud! Just come at me as quick as you can." He slipped the machinery onto his finger and put his hands in his pockets, waiting for Lloyd.

Lloyd, to his credit, decided to try and just get him off-guard. He dashed forward and cocked his fist back, making to punch him square in the face. Being cocky with his machine on hand, Zelos brought out his hand to catch what he thought would be Lloyd's fist. He was surprised when suddenly Lloyd's fist fell short, and his legs suddenly gave out from under him, courtesy of a sweeping kick from Lloyd. He stumbled and fell; causing the audience to laugh as they figured it was part of the promotion to humor them. Zelos growled from his fallen spot, but got back up and put back on his smile, though it was slightly forced now.

"Aren't we the clever ruffian? I'll give you that, Bud; you know how to catch a man off-guard. But now, for real, I want you to punch me in the face." He pointed to one of his cheeks, grinning and winking at the female audience below.

Lloyd blinked. "Let me get this straight. You…_want _me to punch you in the face."

"Yes, that's right. One good one, right in the noggin."

"…You're sure of that?"

"Absolutely."

Lloyd thought about warning him, but decided he would let him have what he wanted. He ran forward, and threw his fist back again; only this time he threw it forward. It wasn't so much a punch as a quick jab, but Zelos surprised him by catching him with the hand the machinery was equipped to. Lloyd didn't comprehend this, however, as he was busy being electrocuted by a series of jolts coming from the red-head's hand. Zelos soon let go of the swordsman, who fell to the side, stunned and slightly crispy.

"How's about that, folks? A small ring in appearance, but in appearance only! Look closer and you'll find a handy little switch on the inside of the ring. One push, and your hand becomes like a lighting glove! The perfect deterrent to thugs and robbers!" The audience gave another cheer, while Colette and Genis ran on stage to check on Lloyd. The demonstration concluded here, as the crowd dispersed while Zelos chatted up a few brave women who approached the stage.

"You ok, Lloyd?" Genis asked, pulling Lloyd up into a sitting position. He slapped Lloyd's cheek a few times, bringing him out of his stupor.

"Ugh…what hit me? That was worse than when your sister chased after me when she thought I'd used her medical gear for spare parts." Lloyd groaned.

Colette, seeing her friend in such a state, felt immediately guilty. "I'm sorry, Lloyd! I didn't mean for that to happen!"

Lloyd just waved her off. "It's alright, Colette. I've had worse. You should see what happens when I mess something up at the shop back home."

This appeased Colette's guilt for now, though she still felt she owed her best friend something. Making a quick decision, Colette marched over to Zelos, who looked to be chatting up a few ladies who looked interested in buying merchandise (re: him).

"Mr. Zelos!" she used as authoritative a voice as she could muster, imagining Dirk for inspiration. Zelos heard her voice and turned to Colette, abandoning the swooning women below.

"Why hello, my blonde little angel! And how might the great Zelos Wilder help you today? Are you looking to buy something? I'm sure I can give a discount for someone as cute as you." His words came out smoothly, and to his credit, Colette grew a dusty pink to her cheeks. But she didn't let it deter her from her task.

"I want you to apologize to Lloyd. I understand demonstrating a product for your customers, but that was a mean way to do it! You could've seriously hurt him!" Zelos sweated slightly at the intense gaze of the girl, and felt somewhat intimidated, even with his obvious height advantage.

"There, there, my little angel. Had I intended to hurt Mr…Lloyd, was it? I would've used the maximum setting on this little baby." Zelos glanced down at the ring in question, and nearly paled, though he kept his composure. The ring was supposed to be set to a stun level, but one of the technicians had gone and set it to an almost full-output setting. "Hmm…perhaps you're right, milady. I owe him an apology." Zelos turned and approached Lloyd, who was still regaining his bearings.

"You alright there, Bud? I'm sorry if my little trick got you hurt. Sometimes I underestimate what we come out with to sell at these little shows of ours." He held out a hand in good nature, and ring-less, Lloyd noted. Lloyd sighed and accepted the apology, taking the hand to stand back up.

"Well, so long as you're sorry about it, its ok I guess. Just be more careful with it is all." Lloyd stated. His words fell on deaf ears, as the promoter had immediately returned to Colette after hearing Lloyd's acceptance.

"Now then, my blonde beauty, what say you and I go and get a bite to eat? I'm sure I can promise you a delightful time." Zelos laid his charm on thick to try and see if he could sway her to his side of things. One more hunny was one more customer, he told himself.

Colette smiled, but shook her head. "I'm meeting with someone soon, I'm afraid. But thank you anyway." She bowed her head and walked away, leaving Zelos to pout at the lost opportunity.

"Alas, I must be losing my charm if I could not sway such a pure-hearted girl." He turned back to his hunnies to see them waiting for him. "Ladies, let us go and relax. I am in the need of some delightful company." They squealed and followed him off as he stepped off the stage, though he did spare one glance back to see Lloyd, Colette, and Genis heading in the opposite direction. He shrugged and continued walking, putting them out of his mind for now.

* * *

><p><strong>2:00, Main Square<strong>

Time had passed quickly during their exploration of the city, as the trio rushed to the main square to meet with the Professor. The mid-day sun shone above them, keeping the day relaxed and warm. "I hope we're not too late!" Colette said as they looked about for the elder Sage.

Genis looked to the benches that lay scattered throughout the square, placed in a loosely-formed circle that faced towards the fountain in the middle. At one of them sat his sister, reading one of her textbooks she brought with her. "There she is! Hey, Raine! We're here!" he exclaimed as they approached her. Hearing their voices, the Professor turned her head to see them coming, and put away her textbook. She stood to greet them, also showing off her change of clothes she'd gone with in place of her older ones.

It was one of her more casual outfits, not meant for research or lab work so much as just day to day activities. She wore small, dark brown heels with tiny cog designs sowed in to the material. Her legs were covered by a light but lengthy burgundy skirt, which swayed in the wind. Above it, covering her lower torso, a second smaller skirt hung to her frame, colored a light tan. Her midriff revealed a corset, buttoned up and forming to her like a second skin. From there, she had on what looked to be the upper portion of a felt coat covering her arms and the rest of her torso, held in place with a small clip just above her heart. "So how was the sight-seeing? Was it what you expected?" she asked.

Colette and Genis nodded while Lloyd shrugged. "It was great seeing the city, but I didn't enjoy being electrocuted." He commented. Raine raised an eyebrow at this and looked to the other two, who went into detail about the advertiser for Meltokio Incorporated. Raine's eyes lit up as she recognized the description.

"That's Zelos Wilder, alright. He's the main front man for Meltokio Inc., working to get them out there and known to the public. Anytime that the company produces a new invention, he's taught how to use it and who to sell it to. I hear he's gotten a lot of privileges from the company for his work." She put a finger to her chin in thought. "All the times I'd been in Meltokio, I never saw him. But judging from what you say, he's a bit like a blowfish."

"That's putting it mildly." Lloyd deadpanned, making them all laugh. "Can we get some food to eat? Being Meltokio Inc.'s guinea pig for the day made me hungry." Walking off, the group settled for a restaurant close to the hotel. While they walked, Lloyd was reminded of the reason they'd come to Palmacosta.

"Professor, is there any chance we could go to the Research Institute tomorrow? I'd like to find out just what it is I brought with me." Lloyd asked.

"Of course, Lloyd. The Research Institute is open to everyone who comes. We can go there tomorrow and speak to their technology specialists." Raine took a moment to look around before continuing. "We better be careful, though. They can be a bit grabby when it comes to new technology. If we're not careful, they might snatch it from underneath us and claim it as theirs."

Colette gasped at the idea. "Would they really do that?"

Raine shrugged. "That depends. You three tell me that a sword-carrying mercenary chased you out of Iselia just for that thing. Do you think it's so far-fetched that someone else won't try the same trick?"

The three nodded as they remembered the encounter. "We'll be extra careful then. We won't let it out of our sight." Genis said. At that, the four arrived at their restaurant, and settled in for a late but well-earned lunch.

* * *

><p><strong>Cruxis Headquarters-Unknown location<strong>

Inside a darkly lit room, a blonde-haired man stood at a window, gazing down at the city below him. He smirked as he thought of how similar his physical position now was in comparison to his standing in terms of business. Cruxis was as powerful an organization as ever, beloved by the people, or "sheeple" as he liked to call them. They had their hands in nearly everyone's pockets. '_And once we have that cube in hand, then we'll really take the world by storm. An entire revolution, thanks to one man_.'

An intercom buzzed on the desk nearby him. He approached it and poked a thin white finger to open the channel. "Yes?"

"The target has moved to Palmacosta. My attempted capture was unsuccessful." The intercom's volume was kept low, but he knew whose voice was on the other line. The fact that he was reporting a failure was news to the blonde-haired man. He supposed it was a change of pace, though it was a negative change.

"Explain what happened in detail. How did they escape?" What followed was a descriptive report of the encounter in Iselia, though told from the viewpoint of Kratos. When he finished, the blonde was silent before speaking again.

"I am…unsatisfied, Kratos. You failed your objective and let it escape into the world. Now the trouble of finding it has become that much more complicated." His voice was smooth and low in tone, but carried power with it. On the other end, Kratos held back a slight shiver. "However, you do have a wonderful record of success with us. It should come as no surprise that even you have problems that slip through the cracks. We are all only human, after all."

"What are your orders, sir?" The figure "hmm-ed" in thought for a time before answering.

"I want you to stay back for now. Recover and observe. Only observe." He stressed 'only'. "If they see you again, they'll only run, putting us on a wild goose chase. We have other means of retrieving the device, and they are ready to be used at a moment's notice. That is all."

"Understood." The intercom switched off, and the figure returned to the window.

"You can only run so long before I find you, Lloyd. You can't hide from Cruxis."

* * *

><p><strong>1. Zelos' outfit will be posted on my profile page with the rest of the cast.<strong>

**2. The description is for that of a Steampunk-esque cell phone. Of course, they don't really have such things, and won't have them by the time this story is done. It'd be more of a prototype radio communicator, much like what Kratos has, only for the public use.**

**3. Raine's outfit will be posted on my profile page as well.**

**And that's a wrap! So what do you all think of Palmacosta? We haven't even gotten to the harbor yet, which you will see soon enough! I wanted to expand more on the idea of Palmacosta being larger, a capital city for the Sylvarant people. You can't just describe it one go, you need more than that. I hope I captured some of that here.**

**I wonder what will happen next for Lloyd and his friends. What's waiting to be found at the Research Institute? What will Cruxis do to pursue Lloyd and the mystery cube? You'll have to tune in to find out!**

**Please Read and Review!**


	5. The Institute

**Chapter 5! We're picking up steam! Some of you have commented on how well the scenery is and how you like the characters interacting with everything in their environment. I'll tell you, the process I go through to make those scenes is very intricate and delicate…**

***camera suddenly zooms in on Raenef's head, revealing a demented, mad-man version of himself bashing a typewriter with a hammer. Camera then zooms out***

**Very, very delicate. On with the show!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Namco does. If I owned Tales of Symphonia, I would give Genis and Presea more scenes. Those two are just too cute together in my opinion.**

**P.S: I have added a poll on my profile for anyone interested. It's to figure out the subject of a possible one-shot idea. Cast your vote so I know what you might be interested in reading!**

* * *

><p>It was nighttime now, in the coastal capital. The sun had given way to the ethereal glow of the moon, cresting over the dark, starry sky above. Without that bright orb above, the temperature had cooled considerable, enough to be comfortable depending on one's preference for the cold. The vendors had closed up shop, tucking away their wares and heading for home to rest and prepare themselves for the next day. Some were happy with the day's fortunes, selling many of their goods and making a nice profit. Others wondered what they'd missed on their attempt, their trolleys still as heavy as when they headed out that morning.<p>

Away from the main square and tucked away between two similarly constructed hotels, The Handsome Fish still had several lights shining in the dark, no doubt due to the occupants of the rooms still moving about and staying active, even in such late hours. On the second floor, tucked away two rooms to the right, an elderly scholar reviewed his papers for a submission to the Research Institute. A floor above and a room to the left, a young couple shared a glass of wine after a romantic trip through the town, soaking up the sights for their honeymoon. Their night would undoubtedly be one for their memories.

Two more floors up, tucked away on the left side of the building, two more rooms remained lit up, and their occupants awake, but starting to drift asleep. They had enjoyed a full day of exploring the town, enjoying the fresh sights compared to their home of Iselia. After they had eaten at the restaurant that afternoon, Raine had taken time to explore with the group, heading to the harbor to see what had been left to tour of the great capital. Needless to say, Lloyd and Colette had been amazed at what laid before them.

The harbor extended far out into the open Kharlan Sea, with docks spider-webbing in between boats of every class and type. Several of the navy fleet of Palmacosta was docked there for refitting and repairs, the crew taking a leisurely pace to their work. A few of them even waved down at the passing tourists and visitors. Other ships were more of the cruise-class type, designed for relaxed travel or a vacation on the open seas. Their size was still impressive in comparison to what Lloyd's imagination had provided him with. Strangely, Raine had designated herself to remaining on the city's walkway instead of heading down to the docks. "She doesn't like the water much," Genis whispered to them as they were leaving the docks, "she won't even consider travel by boat unless necessary. The only time I've seen her get on one was to get her certification from Meltokio."

Now, however, the group of four had settled in to their rooms. Colette and Raine took one, while Lloyd and Genis claimed the other. Lloyd had spend a lot of the night checking over his new swords and fiddling with them, testing their weight out and getting more of a feel for use in combat. He had also begun work on putting the two together to form the Gunblade that his dad said it was able to be, but his progress was slow. It was not for lack of trying that he moved slowly, but more to be careful to not break or damage any of the intricate parts needed to put the two together.

Lloyd set in place a final gear and locked it in before picking up the completed weapon. He was surprised, but impressed by Dirk's craftsmanship. From the outside, it looked as if he'd just stuck the two together, one on top the other. But looking closer, one could see several connected gears and slots that were together, forming the chamber needed for when the bullets were launched. The two steel blades pressed together to form what would be the barrel, leaving enough room for the bullet to be fired. "It isn't easy to put together, but it sure looks badass!" Lloyd commented, holding it up as if to take aim.

Genis looked up from his book to see Lloyd's success. He let out a small whistle at the sight. "Do you even know how to use that, Lloyd?" he questioned. "You don't really strike me as the gun type."

Lloyd shouldered the Gunblade before turning to Genis. "Hey, I can always learn new things. Besides, Dad designed these swords to be able to be used like this, so it's only right for me to learn how to. The only question is where to practice…"

Genis shrugged. "If we're going to be here for awhile, you could try the soldiers' practice grounds. They have plenty of shooting ranges to try at. It's either that or find some bottles in an alley and turn them into target practice."

Lloyd nodded and sighed before setting the weapon down to disengage it and return it to its twin swords form. It didn't take nearly as long now, since he knew how the pieces functioned. Once set apart, he sheathed the blades and set them against the wall before sighing and throwing off his gloves and boots. He pulled his shirt out from being tucked in and unbuttoned it before opening the window to let the cool air blow in. He looked out at the city before him, gazing at the few people who still wandered around under the street lights lining the ways. "I wonder how dad's doing at the shop…" Lloyd pondered aloud.

"Knowing him, he's doing just fine, keeping everything tidy and ship-shape for his customers. A dwarf's work is never done, I remember him saying once. It's probably his way of distracting himself since…" Genis trailed off before realizing he'd almost said something insensitive. Lloyd picked up on it still and threw Genis a sad smile.

"It's alright, Genis. I know he probably misses me. Heck, he probably just misses not having to do everything around the shop. He's had me working there since I was 8, even if it was just helping with customers. He can handle it himself." Lloyd looked back outside. He did miss home some, since it was one of the only places he'd ever known. All the rest of the world had been pictures and stories, and he'd been content with that, just knowing Iselia's streets. Yet at the same time, Lloyd couldn't deny the excitement he felt at the idea of being in someplace new, of seeing it with his own eyes and not through another's. "I don't know what all this will end up being, but I do know that I'll always have a home in Iselia. He told me that, when we left. He wanted me to see the world, so by Martel, I'm going to see it." He finished confidently.

Genis smiled and nodded. A sudden yawn crept into him and the lad realized he'd been at the books for hours. He'd been analyzing a theory of pyrotechnics for an idea he had, and had been caught up in it for some time. "I think I'm gonna hit the hay, Lloyd. You probably should too, since we have more work to do tomorrow." Genis packed his things back up and set them aside before shrugging off some of his clothes for his sleepwear. He hopped into bed and turned off his light, leaving Lloyd's side to be lit by the moonlight.

Lloyd smiled at his friend's position before looking outside once more. His mind drifted back to the letter he had Dirk mail off, and wondered if it had reached its destination. '_It's been some time since I heard from her…I wonder what she's been up to…_' Lloyd let the thought go as he yawned and decided to head for bed. He left the window open to keep the room cool and tucked himself in, falling asleep in a matter of minutes.

* * *

><p><strong>The next day<strong>

"Oi, Lloyd! Get up!" A thrown pillow smacked into Lloyd's snoring form as he startled awake, fumbling around in his sheets before falling off the side, legs left to dangle in the air. His legs twitched a moment before he scrambled up to see Genis munching on a bite of toast, already clothed. "You snore real loud when you sleep, you know that Lloyd? I'm surprised the whole hotel didn't complain." The bomb-maker joked.

Lloyd's mind was still in the process of rebooting from his dream of a world of pancakes and syrup galore. His stomach echoed the thoughts as it rumbled loudly, and Lloyd put a hand to it as if to quell its demands. "What time is it?" Lloyd yawned and stood up, stretching and popping his neck.

"It's about fifteen past nine. Raine and Colette are down in the lobby eating, waiting on you to catch up. If you don't hurry, you won't get anything to eat before we have to leave." Genis laughed mentally at the idea of a starving Lloyd being dragged along to the Research Institute, begging every vendor they passed for food. He expected a witty response from Lloyd, but heard nothing. Thinking he might've touched a nerve, Genis looked back to see Lloyd cleaned up and dressed to go. His eyebrows shot up as he looked to the bathroom to see that it was wet and still steaming, as if it'd just been used. "What? How? When?" he stuttered in shock.

"When you live in Dirk's household, you learn to get ready quick to get food. Especially by his tough standards." Lloyd slipped on his gloves and clipped his swords to his sides before walking to the door, where a still stunned Genis stood. Taking advantage, Lloyd grabbed what was left of the toast and popped it into his mouth. "Mm…that is good! Thanks, Genis!" Lloyd laughed as he headed down the hallway. A moment later, Genis caught up with what just transpired and chased down Lloyd, having just had his breakfast snatched from him.

Raine and Colette looked up to see Lloyd appear from the stairwell, an irate Genis following shortly after. Lloyd was laughing while Genis was chasing him. The swordsman headed for the buffet and began piling food on his plate while Genis returned to the table, pouting. "I take it that you woke Lloyd?" Raine commented. Genis only snorted and dug into his eggs.

"Greedy little…snatched my food…" he muttered between bites. The table thumped as Lloyd joined them, three full plates of food in hand. Colette only laughed at his eager expression while Raine sighed and resisted the urge to face-palm. '_At least it's covered by the hotel…if it wasn't; Lloyd would eat me out of house and home!'_ Raine thought as she took a sip of her coffee.

After gobbling down a tray of bacon and sausage, Lloyd swallowed and turned to the elder Sage sister. "So Professor, what all do we have to do exactly to have someone help us at the Institute?"

Raine sat down her coffee and answered. "Well, Lloyd, our best bet would be to talk to one of my colleagues here at the Institute who specializes in technology research and development. She owes me a few favors for helping her with some of her past research, so she'll be the one to talk to. She can keep a secret if I ask her to."

Lloyd nodded at this. Best to keep any discussion of the cube out from public ears if possible. He wondered what would come of their research though, whether they would find anything out or leave them empty-handed. "I don't mean to be a downer, but what if they can't help us? What then?" he asked.

Raine's brows furrowed at the question. "Are you saying you don't think they're capable, Lloyd?"

Lloyd waved his hands defensively. "Not at all! Just…dad's never seen something like this before, and he's usually in tune with all the sorts of new technology that comes out or is talked about. He'd never seen anything like this, and these guys might react the same way is all."

Raine accepted this explanation. "You make a fair point. Dirk always has been a trustworthy craftsman and engineer. If the scientists here can't make any breakthroughs with it, which I highly doubt…" she muddled it in her head before continuing. "…then we might have to go even further than what Dirk thought you would go."

Lloyd blinked. "Further? How far are we talking?"

"Across the Kharlan Sea, to Meltokio." Raine stated simply.

Lloyd almost choked on his food, while Colette and Genis did, coughing into their hands. "Meltokio?" they exclaimed, drawing several stares. All three felt their gazes and mouthed an apology before returning to their conversation. "We can't go to Meltokio! How would we get there?" Genis whispered.

"Well, I'd assume we would pay for a charter ship to take us across. It'd cost a pretty Gald, but we could do it, if we scrounge for the money. We'd have to work some odd jobs first to get it all. And that means all of us. Not to mention passports for when we'd get there so we can enter the country." Raine sighed. "It wouldn't be easy, but that's really the last option we'd have if we wanted to try and find anything out."

Lloyd's mind was boggled at the idea of visiting Meltokio. He'd only heard stories of the famous royal capital city of the Tethe'allan continent. Streets paved with riches, technology above and beyond Sylvarant's experts. What was fantasy in Sylvarant was often reality on the other side of the sea in Tethe'alla. He'd heard they had gone so far as to commercialize flying there, though that part seemed somewhat out there for him. If they had succeeded completely, Sylvarant would've at least tried to emulate it. "It sounds a bit out there, to be honest. Let's focus more on trying to do what we can here instead of thinking about going overseas." Lloyd finished a plate before starting on another, switching subjects as well. "What exactly does the Institute here do, Professor? Aside from research?"

Raine smiled at Lloyd's genuine curiosity. "Well, Lloyd, research is a major portion of what the Institute does, but there is more to it than that. They also have departments dedicated to medical works, engineering, culture, economy…there's almost every field of study and application there. It's likely the most knowledgeable place on the Sylvarant continent. Many of the businesses who patent their machines come through here, to have them tested for safety and functionality. If it gets the seal of approval, they get a greater backing for business than as a stand-alone company would."

Lloyd nodded and summed it up in one sentence. "So it's full of bookworms and scientists. Got it." He ducked to avoid the swipe of a rolled up newspaper, courtesy of Raine. "Kidding! I was kidding! I'm one of those scientists too, you know! Well, kind of."

Raine sighed and went back to reading the main article on the front page about Governor Dorr's rising tax prices and the complaints from some of the local business owners. "Anyway, if not for the Institute, a lot of the schools of thought we have access to wouldn't be around, or be far less developed. I'm sure Dirk has mentioned once or twice about new inventions from them when he was teaching you, right Lloyd?"

Lloyd nodded. "Not so much in detail, but in passing. It always made me curious to see what just was here. Now I guess I get to find out. So when do we head out?"

Raine folded the newspaper and set it on the table. "I suppose we can go whenever you all are ready. I have nothing else to take care of today, truly." The four soon finished after that and headed out the door, not noticing a figure sitting several tables away who switched off a small machine placed beneath his table. His reconnaissance had not turned up much, but he had done his job. He stood up with his briefcase in hand and walked out the door to report to his superior.

* * *

><p><strong>Palmacosta Research Institute<strong>

The walk to the Research Institute was short, as its grounds occupied a fair portion of the city. Its outermost border was made from brick, with several openings with metal gates, emblazoned with "Palmacosta Research Institute" across their tops. Inside, the campus sprawled over a grassy field, with many of the civilians passing through to visit or just enjoy the open space. Off to the side, Lloyd could see some of the researchers testing new machinery out. One was shaped like a cube with several needle-like limbs moving in careful sync with each other, its two limbs of a pick and small shovel hanging in front of it. If Lloyd had to guess, it was some sort of machine for digging, perhaps in case underground workers were wary of digging somewhere. He looked on as the machine came to life and began to tunnel underground towards what looked like a prepared obstacle course, scientists observing its progress with clipboards in hand.

'_It's the real deal, alright. I wonder who this guy is that Raine thinks can help us?'_ Lloyd looked ahead to the main building and let out a low whistle at the size of it. It easily towered over any building in Iselia, reaching several stories up into the air. Built from the ground up with brick and metal, it looked massive enough to hide several homes from Iselia in one wing. Windows adorned each side, signifying the multiples of rooms that lay within, some with smoke coming from them, while others were sounding with the noise of a lecture in progress from a professor. The front doors were wide open, and the four entered the Institute, their steps echoing as they walked the tile floors.

The inside was just as impressive as the outside. The chamber they stepped into was a massive sort of circular area, where several hallways lay open before them. A receptionist's desk sat to the side, where three such people sat sorting letters from the morning mail for their recipients. Raine went to speak to them for directions while Colette and Genis joined Lloyd in looking around. A machine stood on display in the middle of the room, encased in a glass display, and the three approached it.

"What is it? I've never seen this before." Colette asked. She leaned forward to read the display label. "The first modern steam engine design, the Stirling Engine, donated by one Altessa Varden, Grand Engineer of Meltokio University." She leaned back and looked over the object in question. Its parts were simple in design: four pistons each sat attached to a glass tube where a candle was in place at their base. Each piston was set in a pair of twos, with each pair attached to a pinwheel that connected to a prime wheel at the center of the machine. The metal was painted a golden color, likely to cover over the signs of aging and to give it a more aesthetic appeal. (**1**)

"I remember this. This was one of the first modern engines that were created solely for power through air and heat. The candle wicks, when lit, release heated air into the pistons. The pistons have a switch at the top that frees them to move and pump the air through. That pumping motion moves these pinwheels to move as well, which keeps the wheel turning and power generating." Lloyd stated. His description was accompanied by his pointing to each of the parts as he described them. "It's simple in design, and not very effective, but it was a start. It's pretty cool to see."

Colette nodded and looked at the machinery on display, her shoes clacking on the tile floor. "What did they use it for? I don't see any wires or anything coming from it."

"Well, this was made as purely a steam power marvel, Colette. Granted, a lot of the machinery we run today uses steam power too, but they mix it in with electricity. Going off of pure steam, you could fuel some basic machinery, but only those made for simple tasks, like a conveyor belt or a door system. The most obvious flaw in it though was its source of heat, the candles." Lloyd rapped on the glass with his knuckles. "One good breeze gets in, or if the seal is faulty, and the whole thing gets wrecked. It stops receiving the hot air it needs to keep moving."

Colette "hmm-ed" to herself as she finished walking around. She then smiled. "I like it. It's compact and simple," she looked to the two boys, "kinda like me!" The three shared a small laugh as Raine returned to them.

"I've found out where my colleague is. She's just finishing a round of experiments in her lab, so we can meet her there. The experiment labs are kept in the basement for safety, so we'll take the stairs." She nodded towards one of the open hallways to their left. "This way." The group made their way down the hallway, passing by oak door after oak door before coming across a steel grate door, which Raine unlocked and opened before heading in. The way was lit by gas lamps as they went, the tile giving way to a metal staircase that winded down several times before stopping. Lloyd fought the temptation to slide down the railing and walked behind Colette as they reached the bottom. There, a doorway labeled "Research and Development" stood, with a small name emblazoned underneath, reading "Kate Noronae" (**2**).

Raine knocked twice before they heard a voice call to them, saying "Come in, it's safe!" Lloyd followed in behind Colette and looked about the room in awe. The room was designed in the shape of a circular dome, the metal ceiling matching the circumference of the floor. All around them, machinery buzzed in activity, giving readouts and printing various charts into a neat organized pile. Off to one side, Lloyd could see two large glass windows cut also into a circular shape, revealing behind them what looked to be a regular observation room with tables and chairs placed nearby the glass. In one corner of the lab stood a massive generator, connected by several massive cables to a nearby control panel. A constant flow of electricity could be seen moving through the generator, giving off a blue-white glow (**3**). In the center of the room, a woman stood with her back to the group, her green hair done in a careful bun on her head, and a pencil visibly tucked behind one ear.

"Kate! Good to see you!" Raine greeted, drawing the woman's attention. She turned around, giving Lloyd a better profile of her image. Her brown eyes peered at them through thin wire-rim glasses, perched on her nose in a delicate fashion. She held a clipboard to her chest, pressing against her white lab coat that was standard issue for researchers everywhere. It took her a moment to recognize Raine, but when she did, her features relaxed and she permitted a smile.

"It's good to see you too, Raine. It's been some time since you last visited. How have you been? And who are these people? Your friends?" she asked.

Raine nodded. "I've been alright myself, mostly holed up in Iselia. These three with me are Lloyd, Colette, and my little brother Genis." She pointed to them each in turn, and they nodded and smiled. Kate returned their grins with one of her own. "I was hoping to catch you when you weren't busy. What are you up to?"

Kate looked behind her at the generator that was still emitting energy. The low thrum that came from it could be felt through the metal floor and into their forms. "I was testing a new energy theory with our spare generator. One of the engineers here wanted to try and boost the capacity of the generator to exceed its normal limits. He switched out some of the more common components with elements he believes to be more conductive to electricity, to make the flow easier with less power lost in the process." She looked to her clipboard and flipped through a few pages before sighing and adjusting her glasses. "Unfortunately, his theory hasn't quite held up. I've not seen a single difference in output the entire time." She sat the clipboard down on a nearby table and looked back at them. "So what brings you here?"

Raine nodded to Lloyd, who cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Miss Kate," he started to say before the green-haired scientist held her hand up.

"Just Kate will do, Lloyd. No need to call me miss." She said.

Lloyd nodded. "Kate…a few days ago, me and my friends came across a really…interesting piece of technology. It's something we'd never seen before. I took it home with me and had my dad try to analyze it, but the only thing we came up with is that it's able to keep a device charged for a real long amount of time." Lloyd reached into his pocket and pulled out the cube, looking it over to check it before handing it over to Kate, whose eyes were wider upon seeing the mysterious object.

"When you say 'real long', how would you define that?" she asked as she turned the cube over in her hands.

Lloyd searched for the right description before he answered. "Let's just say it left a power tester feeling much more active after it was connected to it. Infinitely active."

Kate's eyebrows arched at his words, but she held back any remarks as her scientific side came to the forefront. "Alright…" she walked to a nearby table and brought over a sheet of paper and a pen, and scribbled down a few notes as she looked the cube over. "What else can you tell me about it? It's composition, functions, things like that?"

Lloyd ran a hand through his hair as he thought. "We…haven't had time to really try it out or test it with anything. I don't know what it's made of, only that the material is stronger than any quality steel or metal ore that you can get on the market fairly. The switches and knobs on the bottom and sides are what control it, though we've yet to do more than just test its power level. The inscriptions are a complete unknown though. Your guess is as good as mine."

Kate wrote all this down and peered at Lloyd over her glasses. "So what you're saying is that this thing has some sort of unknown function you can't deduce, the ability to produce an infinite charge, and is made from material that can't be found or crafted by any common man or woman. And you want me," she looked to Raine, "to try and poke a metaphorical stick at it to try and figure it out."

Raine nodded. "That's the basic gist of it. I know it's not a lot to work with, but it's all we have to offer. We need to keep it under wraps, because…"she paused to think. "…let's just say it would be bad if certain people found this. Can you help us out, Kate?"

Kate wrote down a few more notes before she stood up. She took her glasses off and polished them on her sleeve before putting them back on. "Under most circumstances, I would decline such a thing from the sheer lack of information. Even if it is a curiosity to see, I couldn't just up and take on such a task just for curiosity's sake alone. Especially if there is more going on than just scientific inquiry." Her eyes were stern, and Raine was about to offer an apology before Kate's gaze softened and she smiled. "But, you are my friend, Raine. One of the few I have around here. And friends don't go leaving each other in the dust just because something's a little challenging. So I will help you."

Raine smiled, as did the rest of the group. "Thank you, Kate. We sincerely appreciate it. If there's anything we can do to make up for it…"

The green-haired scientist waved them off. "No need for that, Raine. It'll take me a day or two to run it through the tests I have in mind, so you'll have to stick around till then. Where are you staying so I can find you in case I figure something out?" Raine gave her the room number at their hotel, and Kate scribbled it down as well on the same sheet. "Alright then. I'll get started on it as soon as I finish here. For now though, just take care and make sure to stay around in case I have any more questions I need answered."

Raine nodded and shook her colleague's hand. "Thank you, Kate. We'll stay in touch, don't worry."

Kate smiled. "I know you will. Oh, and Raine?" At the Professor's look, she grinned more. "Consider this making us square for the favors I owe you. Including the incident with the flammable body casts."

Raine sweatdropped as Lloyd, Colette, and Genis looked confused. "Flammable body casts?" Lloyd questioned.

Raine laughed a high-pitched, embarrassed laugh. "I may or may not have toyed with the idea of a type of medical cast for damaged limbs that was flammable and easily destroyed." She stated.

Lloyd's sweatdrop grew as Colette spoke up. "But…aren't they supposed to be made…non-flammable?"

If the elder Sage sibling heard Colette, she didn't acknowledge her. "Well, look at the time. Let's go, Lloyd, Genis, and Colette! We have to let Kate do her work now. Good seeing you, Kate! Take care!" She turned and pushed the trio to the doorway, leaving behind an amused Kate to see them go. Upon shutting the door, Kate turned back to the cube on the table and picked it up, looking it over.

"I don't know what you are…but I will find out." She set it back down and resumed work on the generator, the cube left to sit on the table on its own.

* * *

><p><strong>Palmacosta-City streets<strong>

"Well, Kate's taking care of the cube now. So what should we do?" Genis questioned as the group left the Institute's grounds. "We won't hear back from her for a couple days, so what can we do in the meantime?"

Lloyd looked around him at all the passing people and the shops they passed as they walked. "I'm not sure…we could go explore some more, maybe see what else there is in the city to be found. Who knows, maybe we can find some more ingredients for your bomb ideas?" he nudged Genis, who grinned mischievously.

"Exploring the city would be fun! But I don't want to leave Raine behind while we have fun…" Colette said as she looked to the medical artisan. Raine smiled at Colette's consideration for her. "If you'd like to, Colette, you can accompany me around the city while I run a few errands. I might need to make use of that stupendous memory of yours." Colette grinned and nodded, her ponytail bouncing behind her. Raine then turned to Lloyd and Genis.

"Just make sure you two don't go causing any trouble or draw any attention. The last thing we need is to be noticed by a bunch of Desian troublemakers. You can do what you want, but behave yourselves, or so help me; I'll turn you into my next test subjects for my remedies." Lloyd and Genis both nodded frantically at this, wanting to avoid any possibility of being tested on, especially after learning about "flammable body casts". Who knew what other questionable things Raine got up to in her studies?

"Alright, come on then, Genis! We got a city to explore!" Lloyd exclaimed as he took off down a random street, the younger Sage running after him. Raine and Colette watched the two run off and smiled at each other before going on their way, with Colette asking once more just what it was that Raine got up to at the Research Institute and Raine trying to move away from the topic.

Though having split, both parties were still watched as they departed by the same figure who had been spying on them back at the hotel that morning. His smile grew at the idea of the two pairs making themselves out as easy targets. He still wasn't too sure why his superiors wanted him to watch them, but behind the scenes work is what he did best. If that's all they asked of him, he was content to obey. He walked off down the same road as Genis and Lloyd had gone, whistling a quiet tune that only he knew.

* * *

><p><strong>Meltokio, unknown location, night time (4)<strong>

The city streets were quiet right then, as was commonplace for such times. No one wanted to wander about at this time of night, as nothing good ever came of it. Old newspapers and leftover garbage rolled about in alleyways and around dumpsters yet to be emptied by the local sanitation units. A chill wind blew through the alleyway, rattling a few empty trash bins and whirling papers about until they settled on the ground again. The breeze continued upward, pressing against the brick walls of the buildings making the alleyway until it peaked at the top, where it'd lost most of its momentum and was now only a swaying breeze.

It was enough of a breeze, however, to ruffle one particular paper in the hands of a young woman, who sat on the ledge of the building, her head resting on her knee as she read it. Her other hand held onto the envelope the letter had came in, postmarked from Sylvarant, specifically Iselia. The woman finished reading the letter and allowed a ghostly grin to appear on her face, one that hadn't been present for quite some time. It was good to hear from him again. It'd been far too long.

'_What shenanigans have you gotten yourself into now, Lloyd?_' Her thoughts went unanswered by the night sky, the twinkling stars providing a pleasant backdrop to an otherwise quiet night.

* * *

><p><strong>1. An actual invention from reality, called the Stirling Hot Air engine. Fascinating bit of work. You can Google<strong> **it to see images, or type in its name in youtube to see it in action.**

**2. Kate has no given last name in canon, thus I simply came up with a last name that I felt worked for her. Should this ever change, I will edit it accordingly.**

**3. Imagery inspired by a digitally constructed Steampunk Tesla lab from Second Life. A few details I omitted, but it's based off it just the same. The site is apparently not allowing me to add the link to the picture here, so if you wish to see the original shot, Google image "Steampunk Lab" to find it. **

**4. In this universe, the continents of Tethe'alla and Sylvarant are far enough apart to be on separate time schedules by a great degree. Thus, if it is daylight in Sylvarant, it is feasible to be night time still on the other side of the world.**

**And there you have it, folks! A little short on the action side of things, but a good dose of plot progression and fun with the characters. The cube is now in the hands of the capable Kate, and the gang is now working to keep themselves occupied while they wait. Will they discover the spy in their midst watching their moves? What will Kate uncover in her analysis?**

**You'll have to read to find out, ladies and gentlemen. So therefore, Read and Review please! And don't forget to check out the poll on my profile please!**


	6. Cube and Hostages

**Alright, folks, let's make this brief and short as possible. I'm sure many of you have been wondering why the hell it's taken me so long to come out with the next chapter of Tales of a Steamworld, as well as that of Second Chance. The reason is as simple as it is crushing. My computer died. I lost literally everything I had prepared, as well as many other considerably important documents I had meant to save on another flash drive for safekeeping. I've had to pick back up for scratch and put together the pieces once more, waiting over the course of two weeks for a new computer, then another week to try and get back into the swing of writing stories again. Fortunately, I'm back in the swing of it all again, so let's get right back to it, shall we? On to chapter six!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, as it is the rightful property of Namco and its associates.**

* * *

><p><strong>2 Days later<strong>

The sound of metal ricochet echoed across the empty field of the soldiers' training grounds. The open sky and calm wind gave no heed to the gunfire below, as it was a commonplace event in this area. What were not so commonplace, however, were the cause of the ricochet, as well as the owner of the cause. The boy in question, blue-shirted and a pair of sword scabbards at his side was crouched over a shooting post and taking aim at the distant targets down range. If one were close enough, and perhaps not deaf from the thundering cracks of the gunblade he wielded, one could hear the boy muttering to himself as he estimated his next shot.

"Just a little to the left…to adjust for wind and distance…"he whispered as he closed one eye and aimed down the sight of the barrel. He clicked the trigger and the gunblade sounded, the recoil causing Lloyd to shift slightly as he'd grown used to the effect. He lowered his weapon and walked out to the target, heaving it over his shoulder for easier means of carry than by dragging it along. Looking in the target rings, Lloyd saw his aim was getting better, compared to the day before. He wasn't shooting bulls-eyes and doing trick shots, but he could at least aim and get off a plenty good mark.

"That's enough for today. I'm sure Genis must be getting bored by now, waiting for me to finish practicing. It's a good thing the people here gave me these practice rounds to use instead of Dirk's so I don't waste them." He spoke to himself as he disengaged the gunblade and returned the blades that made it up to their scabbards. The familiar weight returned, Lloyd paid his dues for using the range and set out to find his friend and partner in mischief. "Now if I were a bomb maker, where would I go…?" Lloyd looked left and right before wandering down one of the now familiar streets, his boots clacking against the granite and stone walkways.

He passed a few vendors before finally coming across one he thought his friend might be lurking about in. It had a large display to attract its particular customers, a sign showing a hand full of dynamite, the fuse lit and about to blow. Lloyd would not be surprised if at night, the display lit up with extra signs hidden in the sunlight that depicted explosions of various sizes. "Like a kid in a candy store…" Lloyd joked before walking through the door. The bell sounded as he entered, and Lloyd blinked as he watched several patrons suddenly duck at his entrance. When nothing happened, they all looked up and waved the boy in, smiles abroad everywhere.

"Welcome to the Firemen's Nightmare! How can I help you today?" one of the shop workers called from the counter. Lloyd approached him and nodded in greeting.

"I was looking for a friend of mine who might have wandered in here. Why did everyone duck when I walked in, by the way? I don't exactly look that threatening." Lloyd asked.

"Oh that? The bell I use for my door is the same warning bell I sell on my bomb timers. It's sort of a reflex for bomb specialists and the like to recognize it and react accordingly. I just do it for a good laugh, haha!" He chuckled, and Lloyd couldn't help the grin that came to his face as well. "Who's this friend you're looking for? Not too many come in here, so I should be able to tell you if he came in."

Lloyd cast a glance around the store and spied a tuft of white hair at the other end of the store, the head it was attached to leaning over the display. Deciding to have a bit of fun, Lloyd sighed dramatically and raised his voice. "Well, he's a few years younger than me, got white hair, and comes up to about here on the regular height scale." Lloyd made a motion at his hip, and the shopkeeper nodded. "Don't tell him that it's not the regular though, he really uses a smaller one meant for the little folk." The head of white hair suddenly twitched at the display. "Course, he is one of the little folk, so it's somewhat required, though he insists he'll be growing up plenty soon enough. I doubt it though. He's always such a shorty." Another twitch.

"In fact, sometimes back in school, we would call him Genis, the mini-"Lloyd ducked under a bomb casing that flew where his head had been moments before. The thrower emerged and promptly walked up to Lloyd and gave him a jab in his sides. "I remember someone making a promise to never speak of that again, unless he wanted his father to know what really happened to that brand new tool set he'd gotten for his birthday when it mysteriously appeared on his table broken into several pieces."

Lloyd held a hand where Genis had jabbed at him and smiled. "Why, Genis! There you are! I had no idea you were in here!" Another jab was his reply. "Ouch, what'd you do that for?"

The shopkeeper laughed at Lloyd's expense and said, "You two crack me up. Did you find all that you were looking for, Mister Sage?"

Genis nodded and held up the few spare parts he'd needed. "You sure do have quite a lot of stock here. Who did you say provided your material?"

"It comes from overseas, sir. We take material from several of the shipping companies that work alongside the navy and government here. One of the biggest contributors is the Lezerano Company. They've got irons and materials for miles to see! They don't come for a shabby gald either!" the shopkeeper detailed. Genis nodded and rang up his purchases, clearing out some room in his pouch for once. Stepping out, the pair of boys made their way down the street at a relaxed gait. It was a peaceful day again, and the cool air from the sea kept the temperature pleasant even with the sun shining down on their heads.

"So what did you have in mind to do with those new parts, Genis? Already coming up with new ways to terrify your sister with your experiments?" Lloyd asked, his hands settled behind his head as he walked.

"Oh, har har. I told you I was coming up with ideas for new bombs. I've already figured out two in the time we've been here, and even have the prototypes ready! Do you wanna see them?" Genis exclaimed. He shook his travel bag at his side and Lloyd could hear metal clanging about within.

"It might be better to save it for when we're out of town…we don't want to scare everyone away because you got caught up in trying to make a really good explosion!" Lloyd waved his hands to dissuade Genis.

"Bombs aren't used just for explosions, you know…" Genis deadpanned, drawing Lloyd's attention.

"Well, then what else? Every bomb I've seen has been used for blowing stuff up. Seems pretty straightforward to me." Genis sighed and shook his head. "And that's why I'm the one who makes the bombs while you just swing your swords everywhere." He said before looking ahead at their hotel coming into view.

"Bombs can be used for lots of different things than just blowing someone up. There's the smoke bomb I used back in Iselia, remember? You can use that as a cover to escape or to trick someone. There's also bombs that don't use flames but instead deploy other chemicals and combinations, like a sticky bomb or a shrapnel bomb. Really, there are tons of different ideas." Genis paused to see catch Lloyd staring at him with an eyebrow raised. "What? I have lots of time to think, I come up with some pretty good ideas."

"I can see that, Genis. I just hope I never give you reason to use those good ideas on me!" Lloyd commented, causing Genis to snicker.

"We'll have to wait and see, won't we?" He joked as they reached the hotel and stepped inside, where they found Colette and Raine lounging in the front lobby. The two had been chatting and turned to greet the pair as they approached. "How has your day been, sis? Get any work done?" Genis asked as he sat opposite her.

The elder Sage nodded. "So far, it's been good. I've managed to complete a few of the required presentations I need for my next license exam. Now it's just a matter of handing them over for evaluation. Outside of that, Colette has kept me company for the most part. She even managed to help me stop a thief from trying to take my and her Gald."

Lloyd and Genis turned to Colette at this, who smiled and blushed in embarrassment. "W-well, me and the Professor were out grabbing a bite to eat when this big guy bumped into us and snatched Raine's satchel. He turned and tried to take mine as well, but he surprised me so much, I got up and fell over. And when I fell over, I…well…I hit him in a very…unpleasant place." She finished, causing Lloyd and Genis to simultaneously cringe. "He fell over and dropped our things, and got carried away by the police who happened to be nearby. I felt bad though. I only wanted to have our money back…"she finished.

Lloyd couldn't help but to sweatdrop at Colette's explanation. "Only you would feel bad about stopping someone's attempt to mug you, Colette." He laughed.

Raine took that moment to interject. "By the way, Lloyd, Kate sent us a message while you were out. It would seem she's finally finished all the tests that she'd set out to complete on our little object."

Lloyd sat up, excited and his attention focused. "Does that mean she found something out?" he asked.

Raine shook her head to the negative. "I can't say for sure. She only said for us to come by to see her, so she can tell us in person. Outside of that, she doesn't mention anything else, so make what of that you will. We can go right now, if you and Genis don't need to rest."

Lloyd stood up and grinned. "Of course I'm ready to go. Aren't you, Genis?" he turned to his companion, who shook his head at Lloyd's enthusiasm. "It doesn't matter either way, Lloyd. When you get like this, we all have to go just to make sure you don't accidentally mess anything up. We've seen what happens when you get all excited. If it doesn't keep your attention or make you more interested in ten seconds, you forget all about it."

Lloyd stammered. "I-I don't do that! I just…refocus my attention! Yeah, that's it!" he sighed as he saw Raine and Colette laughing. "Oh…fine. Just come on. I want to see what Kate found!" he exclaimed, and the four headed back out the door. As they walked out, a figure emerged from behind the decorative shrubbery placed by the entrance, smirking at the news he'd been waiting two days to hear.

"Contact to base…I have news. The subjects are returning to the university. I believe the good scientists there have finished their poking and prodding. Next course of action?" he spoke into a receiver on his wrist.

A nasal voice answered him, the tone snide. "Leave them be for now. Return to base and leave the rest to me. I have a plan for them…" the com clicked off, and the spy rushed out the door, his task complete.

* * *

><p><strong>Hidden warehouse, Palmacosta<strong>

A pointed finger removed itself from a placed intercom, the device being taken away by a Desian lackey the moment the user was finished. "Well…that was enlightening. It seems our prey has finally laid their egg. Now it's time for us to swipe it from the nest." The man stood from his seat and walked around the small table where he was situated. A large map detailing the layout of Palmacosta was spread across the table, with key points circled or crossed out in red ink. "But how to get inside that little hovel without being noticed by the police…" He spared a glance at a nearby mirror pane, one of the many items stored in the warehouse.

The figure looking back blended in quite well with the darkened lighting of the enclosed warehouse, his pants, long sleeved shirt, and boots all black, the shirt and pants made from breathable cotton material. The boots were leather, and came up to a few inches below his knees. Overtop the black shirt, a grey button-up vest was worn, thin and bearing no outer pockets. His hands and the lower halves of his arms left uncovered by his shirt was protected by black leather gloves, the leather pulled tight against his limber form. Around his waist, a belt was looped around loosely, with a holster for a pistol at his side attached to the belt. His eyes drifted to his facial features, a taut and bony face looking back. His narrowed eyes looked through black rounded glasses, the metal bridge between the two lens crafted into the shape of a bat with its wings extended. The man was finished off by a small bowler hat atop his head, also black. (**1**)

"I stand out as much as Magnius inside a glass finery shop…" he admitted to himself. "Though at least I can admit to looking good. That brute, on the other hand…" he heard a crash as the warehouse door was opened and shut forcefully. "…has the tact and grace of an Egg Bear."

"Kvar!" a voice echoed across the facility, and Kvar cringed. "I've gathered up my men. What's this I hear about some plan you need me for?" Kvar turned to see the giant of a man stalk up the stairs, his steps echoing with every step he seemed to try to crush beneath his boot. For his part, Magnius looked more akin to a desert thug than a civilian. His pants were torn in several places, some tears patched over to maintain decency. He wore no shirt, sticking to only a vest to cover his upper body, exposing the scars and muscle beneath. His red dreadlocks bounced behind him as he thudded forward in brown, steel-toed boots.

"Ahh…Magnius. Perfect timing. My plan requires you and your men to use your…considerable talents to make a distraction. You see, there's something of interest to me in the Palmacosta University, something a certain contractor would like to have his hands on. Now, normally, I would just go and get it myself, but in this case, I will likely need a quick escape and a distraction for the police forces. That's where you come in." he explained.

Magnius nodded and smirked. "I see…sounds like fun. These little wretches have had too much peace for my tastes. It's time to stir things up again!" he stretched his arm and rolled it a couple times. "So, a distraction, huh? Where and when?"

"Preferably far from the University, big enough to draw attention, as much as possible. And I would guess within the next two hours is when I need it to occur. Make sure that you're able to get away. The last thing we need is for you to be caught or to give anything away." Magnius nodded.

"Don't worry! These vermin won't be able to lift a finger to stop me! I'd like to see them try!" He says, throwing a fist behind him and accidentally slamming it into a stack of crates. "Ow!" he cringed, pulling his hand back. "Who put that there?"

Kvar cringed and sighed. "Just…don't screw up, Magnius. This needs to go over smoothly to work. The last thing we need is our boss getting wind of another of your screw-ups. I can't cover for you if you make him angry."

Magnius shook his throbbing hand and nodded. "Right, don't mess up. Got it." He walked away and down the stairs, leaving Kvar to his own thoughts once more. A moment later though, he heard another loud 'thud' and a cry of pain from Magnius. "Oh, Martel, what I would give for competent co-workers…" he sighed to himself. "For all I know, this idea might be…"

* * *

><p><strong>Palmacosta University<strong>

"…impossible! It really is!" Kate exclaimed. She placed her clipboard on the desk and ran a hand through her hair. "I don't know how, but its right here in front of me!"

Lloyd and the group watched as Kate paced before them. "I administered every test, ran every diagnostic and brought in at least four different specialists to test this thing. None of us can debunk it! It defies all current science that we know!" She sat down in a nearby seat and sighed. "I don't know where you found this thing, Lloyd, but whatever it is, it is above and beyond the standard!"

Raine sympathized with her colleague and went to her side, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Why don't you tell us what you did find, Kate? Surely there are some definite things you did uncover?"

Kate nodded and stood back up, regaining her professionalism. "Right. The facts. If you will follow me?" the group walked with her to one corner of the laboratory, where a massive metal generator stood in place. "For starters, I wanted to test the claim of your little device here being capable of producing an infinite charge. The hunk of metal behind me," she rapped it with her knuckles, "is your run of the mill generator. This type is used for major facilities, like this university. It normally requires at least 3 separate sources for it to reach full capacity, and that's with the rest of the machinery on as well. Plug it in to this cube, however…" she activated the few switches Dirk had used before that allowed access to the machine before sliding it into the hub reserved for the power to be exported out. The generator kicked to life, and a loud hum filled the room. "…and it immediately reaches that same full capacity!" she yelled over the machine.

Lloyd nodded in understanding, and Kate disengaged the cube. The humming noise continued, even though Kate held the miniature battery away. "As you can see, even when it's been removed, the generator is still active!" she yelled, walking behind the generator and hitting the manual shutdown. It whirred down, and the rest of the group removed their hands from their ears. "Next, the materials used to construct this little trinket." Kate moved to an elongated table, where various metals, minerals, and other materials lay strewn out.

"Now, my first immediate thought was to check and see if any of the regular materials of Sylvarant were used. Of course, surprise surprise, none of them was even a close match. This half of the table," she waved her arm to the left, "is what made up the Sylvarant portion. So we tested the Tethe'allan minerals next. They are here." she indicated the latter half. "Save a very select few, there were no matches here either. The ones we could match were only matched with materials that are extremely rare and difficult to acquire, let alone use to create something. Incredible durability, intense energy displacement, and a damn strong resistance to wear via erosion or corrosion are recognized in each."

"So what would that mean, if it's made up of those things?" Colette questioned, curious to the point the researcher was getting to.

"Essentially, Miss Colette, this little device here is more protected from harm than a military bunker designed for war. And that's saying something. Whatever it is contained in here that's providing this infinite energy charge we saw before? It is not getting out save for maybe the apocalypse." Kate explained. "And yet, that's not the oddest of what I've found." She approached a third table, where three separate tools were situated. First in place was a simple burner, the ignition light visible and active. Second was a system of beakers and test tubes with water flowing through them in a continuous cycle. Finally, what appeared to be an electric current displacer was set up, with two metal rods in place as a bolt of electricity could be seen flowing up the rods every few seconds.

"What's all this set up for?" Genis asked, looking confused. "What did you intend to test?"

"An odd hunch I had, based off of a few readings from an old alchemist's research I thought may have helped me to figure this out. Now, hear me out." She stated as she saw Genis' incredulous look. "Alchemy may be disregarded somewhat by the scientific community, but only in the aspects of what were deemed 'mystical' or 'supernatural'. Much of our own sciences are based off the work done by our predecessors who practiced alchemy. Now, as for your question…" she cleared her throat. "…I wanted to test elemental responsiveness to this device. To see if there were any curious reactions that might occur from interaction with naturally occurring events, such as fire or water, and even electricity by a stretch. What I found was…truly remarkable. Watch."

Lloyd stepped closer and leaned in as Kate turned the cube and activated another of its switches. "While I was observing these instruments on this thing, I noticed that my candle that I'd been using for light had suddenly burned brighter. The wax that normally took hours of multiple usage to burn out was gone and out in a matter of two hours. Look here." She held the cube near the burning flame, and Lloyd's eyes widened as the flame seemed to spontaneously grow in size. Kate pulled back the cube, and the flame died down. "Wow…"Lloyd whispered.

"That's not all. Observe how the water changes in response to the cube." Kate moved the machine to in front of the liquid, and Lloyd watched as the flow of the water sped up, as if being encouraged by the cube's presence. "But how…how does that work? Is it some sort of effect of the cube? What did you do?" he questioned.

"I believe it's some sort of emitter function, placed here." She pointed to the switch in question. "Though I'm not quite sure how to employ it, it appears to affect the natural environment around it when active." She held it near the electricity test, and the group watched as the bolt of electricity that would emerge was suddenly much larger than before. Kate pulled the cube back and flicked the switch off, deactivating it. She set the cube down and sighed. "That's everything I could find on it. And to be frank, I still don't know what the hell this thing is. This should not exist, and yet, here it is! It defies all rational science!"

Lloyd looked over at the cube and ran his hand through his hair. '_Just what have I gotten myself into here…'_ he thought to himself. '_This thing is just getting more and more complicated. It's enough to almost make me want to smash the blasted thing…if it wouldn't break whatever I smashed it into.' _

"What would you think then, Kate? Do we need to take this somewhere else to debunk it?" Raine asked. It was troubling to her that her friend wasn't able to help them solve this. "If it's beyond you, Kate, then I don't know who to turn to for help. The only people I can think of are over in Meltokio, and they're not likely to give us the time of day unless we willingly just hand over this thing."

Kate nodded. "And knowing how that route would go, that would be the last we'd ever see of this thing ever again. Not to mention we would all be swept under the rug to keep quiet about it." She looked to add more to it, when suddenly an alarm echoed through the room. "What? It can't be…that's the campus' security alarm!" she exclaimed as another scientist emerged from the stairwell and ran in. "What's going on?" she demanded.

"It's a security warning for the whole town. Someone's taken the whole Governor's office hostage! They have thugs and machines and everything! The police are trying to defuse the situation, but they can't do anything until they get the hostages out!" the scientist answered. "We've been ordered on lockdown to make sure none of the Desians try to get in here!"

Kate sighed and rubbed at her face with her hand. "Of all the times for this to happen…now we'll be stuck here till they release the lockdown!"

Lloyd turned to Genis and met his eyes, causing Genis to blink before he nodded at the unspoken message. "Is there a way to get out of here through the lockdown?" he asked, drawing everyone's attention to him. "We need to get outside."

"Lloyd, what are you talking about? What can you hope to do?" Raine questioned. "This isn't a time to go playing hero! We should stay here, where it's safe!"

Lloyd shook his head to the negative. "I'm sorry, Professor, but there are people out there who need my help. Innocent people. I can't just sit by and do nothing if I'm able to do something." He turned to the newcomer and asked again, "Can you show us a way out of here?"

The scientist nodded. "There's an emergency fire exit, in case we needed to escape. You can take that."

Lloyd nodded. "Good. Genis, you're coming with me. Raine, Colette, stay here with Kate and watch over the cube. We'll be back once we've taken care of whoever it is that's causing this trouble." Genis nodded and followed Lloyd as he and the spare scientist ran out the door, ignoring Raine's huffing protests.

"The nerve of that boy…" Raine sighed, shaking her head. "Alright, Colette if they're going to do that, then we're going to do something to help as well." She turned to Kate, who blinked in confusion. "I'm going to go ahead and make a guess that there's something more going on here than just someone taking hostages at the city hall. Out of the blue like that, with no warning? I don't fully buy it."

Colette looked to Raine in confusion. "What do you mean, Professor?" she asked.

"Colette, trust me on this. Kate, let's make sure this room is secure. I've got a bad feeling…" Raine answered.

Upstairs, Lloyd and Genis emerged from a small side door, held open by the scientist. "Be careful! Remember, you won't be able to get back in until the lockdown is lifted!" he said before he shut the door. Lloyd and Genis nodded to each other before racing off towards the main entrance. As they ran, they didn't spot the group of men waiting in the bushes nearby on the campus lawn, watching as Lloyd and Genis emerged from the doorway. "There's our entry, gentlemen…let's move and move quickly." Kvar ordered as they dashed out towards the university.

* * *

><p><strong>1. Kvar's outfit will be linked on my profile, alongside the other characters.<strong>

**Ok, that's done and put out now. We have some progression, as well as some development of the cube, that mysterious little geometric thing. I wonder just what Lloyd and co. are going to do with it now? Especially with the likes of Kvar setting his sights on obtaining it. Will Lloyd and Genis be able to save the hostages at City hall? Will Kvar obtain the cube for his own misdeeds?**

**You'll have to read and review to find out! Catch you all next time! Hopefully a next time that's a lot sooner than this one was…**


	7. Fight and Flee

**I** **blame college, writer's block, and everything and anything imbetween for this late chapter. Enjoy!**

**I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Namco does.**

* * *

><p>Destruction. Mayhem. Chaos.<p>

These were the words that Magnius knew best. They were his bread and butter, his coup de grace. All his life, from when he was little, a scrawny bully of a kid, it's all he knew. Being raised in the Desians didn't allow for things like mercy or kindness. He grew up in anger and dominance, and it bred him into the man he was today. One of the main bosses of the Desian gang. Someone known for his cruelty, and downright ruthlessness and underhandedness in a fight.

When Kvar had approached him about going in and causing some chaos in Palmacosta's streets, he knew it would be a good day. He'd been itching for an opportunity to flex his muscles and show someone what it means to be strong. Taking a few thugs with him, as well as some mechanical muscle, he headed out for the streets and soon found his target, the City Hall. In a matter of minutes, the dreadlocked man took hold of the building and its residents, losing only a man or two to the guards before he took them out.

Twenty minutes later, he'd gotten his wish. The city was sent into a panic, the police force diverted to his part of town and away from the University like Kvar wanted. He didn't know what he wanted there, but like hell if he gave a damn. All Magnius wanted was to cause some chaos, and he was well there already. That would've worked out perfectly for them both. He got to terrorize the city, and Kvar got to have his fun too. Everyone would've been happy.

And then those damned kids came along.

Magnius wasn't sure when it began, but just when he'd thought he'd broken their spirits and gotten them to give up, suddenly he and his men found themselves swarmed by smoke bombs thrown from one of the roofs nearby. He tried to see through it and call to his men, but his vision was obscured. He glanced left and right and above, trying to find some hole in the cover, but to no avail. The hairs on his neck stood up and he shifted around to see a shadow dash through the clouds, metal gleaming as it poked through the cloud.

Screams sounded to his left. Metal clashed and broke to his right. His eyebrows furrowed and Magnius kept looking, but found nothing. "Enough of this crap! Show yourself, you coward!" he yelled. Hearing no response but the yell of another of his men falling to the ground, he pulled out his weapon, a massive axe he was known for using, and swung it as he leapt into the smog. He heard it crash into another piece of metal and held his ground as the smog lifted.

"You gotta be kidding…they sent a brat to deal with me?" he growled as he could better see his opponent. The boy was a little shorter than his height, and was holding his axe back using two swords. They looked odd to him, being made up of gears and metal portions to shape two blades he'd never seen the likes of before. "Alright…who are you?" Magnius questioned. "And just what the hell do you think you're doing, trying to mess with me and my gang?"

The boy in front of him just grinned back and shook his head. "The name's Lloyd Irving. I'm just a concerned citizen stepping up to watch over his community is all." He leaned forward, pushing Magnius and his axe back slightly. "After all, trying to take the whole city government hostage isn't exactly what one would call a good thing." He pulled his left foot back and kicked forward; catching at Magnius' wrist and making him recoil out of reflex. His axe fell back with him, leaving an opening that Lloyd used to score a quick light slash, making him tumble back.

"Grgh! You…little insect! How dare you attack me! I'll gut you and hang you from these city walls when I'm done with you!" he snarled and stood up, brandishing his axe again before charging at Lloyd. The teen smirked and charged forward, parrying him and dashing past before turning around. Magnius stomped and turned around, his facial features distorted moreso by rage. "Hold still!"

Far up above, Genis looked on from his vantage point as Lloyd squared off with the red-haired thug. He couldn't help but laugh as his best friend could move so easily to avoid the larger man's swings. It was like watching a bear try to grab at a rabbit on the ground. Before though, Genis was far from relaxed like he was now. If anything, he was panicking as Lloyd had him follow him to the City Hall.

The two had arrived to a scene of tension as the police stood off with the Desians. They'd gathered the civilians inside and had them circled together on the front steps, where Magnius yelled to the police demands for all the gald they could give or they would find themselves without a governor. Of course, the police had no intention of fulfilling it, to which Magnius responded by letting his boys rough up the governor in front of the watching crowd. Taking initiative, Lloyd and Genis snuck by the barricade and made their way to a nearby building that had been cleared out, as was procedure for the police.

From there, the pair made a plan to try and separate the hostages from the Desians, to which Lloyd made use of the smoke bombs that Genis had managed to craft. On his signal, Genis threw them over the general direction of the hostages, blanketing them and the surrounding Desians with smoke. With their visibility cut off, Lloyd made easy pickings of them, cutting them down and freeing the Governor and the other hostages, sending them to the police while he squared off with Magnius. Pulling himself out of his musings, he then refocused as Lloyd and Magnius continued to duel. The police looked on as well, keeping the now recovered hostages safely out of the way.

The duo circled each other for a time, Lloyd keeping his focus on Magnius' movements while the gangster tried to think of a strategy. His men were routed and taken out, his hostages removed. He was facing one boy with the police force at his backside. He needed to even the odds and fast. Making a decision, he set his axe at his side and fished out a small control box from his pocket. "You know, I hadn't planned on making use of this…but seeing as how you love to have your surprises, it's only fair I show one of my own!" he boasted before hitting the activation button.

Nothing happened for a moment and Lloyd was about to call his bluff when he heard crashing to his left. Sparing it a glance, Lloyd's jaw dropped as a behemoth of a machine burst out of an abandoned apartment complex that landed with an accompanied roar of gears and engines. The thing was massive in size, nearly double the height of Lloyd. Massive metal steel plates covered it in a thick armor, with large cable wires visible at the joints. Its hands were big enough to clamp around Lloyd's head and then some, with metal digits ending in sharp bronze claws. It stood on two legs, bent at the knees, leaning forward due to its weight. Its head was no less comforting, crafted into a horrendous fashion, with two tusks jutting out of its cheeks and a metal facial covering that had a small filter where a mouth would be. Its green eyes were menacing, and Lloyd felt an urge to flee at the behemoth (**1**).

"W-what is that thing?" Lloyd gaped at the machine. Magnius laughed at his reaction. "Do you like it? It's called The CMA mark one, a.k.a, the Slayer. It's quite the war machine, let me tell you. Go ahead and try to take a swing at it, see if you can cut through it before it breaks your scrawny neck!" he cackled and pushed another button, signaling the machine to attack. With surprising speed for its size, it charged forward, causing Lloyd to reconsider his options before dodging to the right, the being rushing past before slowing and turning around, a mechanized roar accompanying it.

"This isn't good…" Lloyd muttered as he eyes down his new foe, keeping an eye on Magnius as he picked up his axe again.

* * *

><p><strong>Palmacosta City Streets<strong>

"Stop!" Raine heard yelled behind her as she and Colette were pursued by a short but swift man they'd come to learn was named Kvar. The pair had been running away from him for several blocks now, and he seemed to not be tiring unlike them. After Lloyd and Genis had left to go aid the situation at City Hall, the elder Sage and Colette had stuck with Kate, helping her to lock down the lab while waiting out the alert. They were finishing putting away the hazardous chemicals when the door had been pounded on urgently, and a gruff voice called out claiming to be campus security.

Raine had raised an eyebrow, not recalling there ever being such a thing as "campus security" but didn't object when Kate went to answer it. Before she finished unlocking it, however, the door was smashed open, sending Kate reeling back in shock as dark clothed thugs entered and leveled their blades at her, making her yelp in fear. Kvar had then strode in and introduced himself, sneering at the three before spying the cube on the table. He threatened her and Colette that unless they handed over the cube, Kate would find herself without a head.

Raine looked to Kate and saw her shaking her head, wanting her to not give it up. But Raine knew better. She walked over to the table slowly and picked up the device before turning to Kvar, who had approached and stood nearby, with Colette standing off and away with a tray of chemicals still in her hands. They were shaking as she stood there, and Raine managed to identify several particularly volatile types she was holding. Shifting her gaze back to Kvar, she moved to hand him the cube before suddenly smirking and dashing to Colette. The surprised Desian had blinked before his narrow eyes shot open, seeing Raine take the tray from Colette and gripping the tray, flung it behind her in his direction, sending the flasks and test tubes flying.

The particular chemicals, separate, were little harm to any individual alone. Outside of light irritation and skin itching, perhaps. But when mixed together, especially potassium chlorate and sodium bicarbonate, one tends to be granted a potent little smoke bomb. Moreso when one particular agent, chlorobenzalmalononitrile (**2**), is pitched in, causing a rather powerful reaction rendering any exposed to fits of disorientation, wooziness, and lack of balance. The smoke cloud was immediate, hiding Kvar from view as Colette and Raine ran off, helping Kate to get away as the thugs had only looked on as they became swamped in the cloud of harmful gas, while Kate had been quick enough to cover her eyes and mouth. The trio left the lab and headed for the surface, but heard Kvar bellow behind them as he gave chase.

When they reached the main level, Raine sent Kate to find some help, telling her they would try and lead Kvar to the city square. Kate looked to object, but a strict glare from Raine silenced any objection. At that, Kvar burst from the stairwell only to see Kate running down one hall as Raine and Colette dashed for the emergency exit. Taking only a moment to weigh his choices, he went after the pair, almost catching them at several points as they struggled to locate the escape route. Thanks to some watching deity or perhaps Colette's rumored luck, he failed to close in, due to something falling into his path or an obstacle appearing out of nowhere, sometimes in a comical fashion. He'd been particularly enraged when a frying pan from the cafeteria kitchen had been flung out the lunchroom's doors, slamming into his face and dizzying him.

On the city streets, Raine and Colette managed to emerge mostly unscathed from the run, only to struggle as they did not know which way to go. Raine looked down each of the open streets and racked her brain for an idea of where to go next. Anywhere seemed appealing at this point in time, to get away from Kvar and keeping the cube out of his claws. "This way!" she exclaimed, and tugged on Colette's arm to get her to follow. Not a moment later, Kvar emerged with a distinct red circular mark imprinted on his face, and watched as the pair fled. "Come back here!" he yelled.

They'd only managed to make it to a few blocks away when Kvar had caught up. He reached into a pouch on his belt and tossed out a bola, the rope extending out and catching onto Colette's feet. She yelped and fell to the ground, causing Raine to stop running and turn back to aid her friend. Kvar grinned wolfishly and pulled out a small dagger, intent on holding the girl hostage for his purposes. Raine, catching the glint of metal in the daylight sun, growled and switched her focus. Looking between the two, Colette could only duck and cover her face with her arms.

Both adults leaped forward, Kvar not paying attention as he looked to Colette. Imagine his surprise when suddenly, he found his face experiencing the sensation of a boot to the face, courtesy of one Raine Sage. Time seemed to freeze for a moment in that instant, before realizing what had occurred and resuming its course. Physics took hold and reminded Kvar of the laws of motion: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. In this case, a boot to the head by one enraged female adult equaled a reaction of being sent back to the ground, rather forcefully. He rolled and came to a stop, his world swirling from the impact.

"Are you alright, Colette?" Raine asked the girl, who could only look at her savior with wide eyes. "I'm fine, Professor! Where did you learn to do that?" she was soon released from her bindings and stood back up.

"The same place I learned how to deal with terrible professors, awful neighbors, and overly persistent suitors." She remarked, giving Colette a confidential wink. Colette laughed but was cut short as Kvar yelled to them.

"I grow tired of this chasing game! No more of this juvenile foolishness! You will hand over the device now, or face my wrath!" he bellowed at the two. His composure had been left on the ground, apparently, as he seemed to almost be foaming at the mouth.

"Oh certainly, right as soon as Meltokio hands me my Doctorate in Medical Research and Performance. Oh wait; you were looking for a serious answer, weren't you?" Raine teased. This served only to infuriate the man further, who pulled out a communicator and activated it. "Heinz!"

"Sir?" a voice crackled over the intercom.

"I want everyone sent to my location now!" He yelled.

"Everyone, sir?"

"Did I stutter, you imbecile? Yes, everyone! I want to capture these two no matter the cost!" he finished before pocketing the communicator. He chuckled darkly as he looked at the two. "No matter. This little farce will be coming to an end now. If not by my hand, then by that of my partners."

Raine raised an eyebrow at this and looked to comment, but withheld it as she observed several thugs start emerging from the alleyways behind Kvar. She soon realized Kvar was not the sort of man to let a victory slip by so easily. "Colette? Would you like to learn another useful thing I've learned?" she said quietly.

The men continued to arrive, filing behind Kvar and filling out around him. Colette kept her eyes on the Desians as she answered. "Would it involve something like running, Professor?"

"You're catching on." Was her only reply as Raine turned and took off, Colette in close pursuit. "Get them!" Kvar ordered, and the men gave a roar of compliance before taking off after the pair. "Don't let them out of your sight!"

* * *

><p><strong>City Hall, Same time<strong>

Lloyd was discovering that the odds of taking on two fighters at once tended to be stacked against the single individual rather than the two. He panted and quickly dodged another attempt by the Slayer to bash his head in, then raised his swords and blocked Magnius' axe from caving his head in. Holding him there for a moment, the boy swordsman shifted and let Magnius' weight fall to the side, throwing a parting blow of his hilt to the thug's side before putting some distance between him and the pair.

"Dammit…I can't keep dodging forever…" he muttered as he tried to think of a strategy. '_I can handle taking on Magnius myself, that's no trouble. But every time there's an opening, that machine of his covers him, and I can't get close unless I want to be missing my head. I have to even the odds somehow._' He looked up and spotted Genis making his way towards the fight, having vacated the apartment roof. He still had his bag on him, making Lloyd start to form an idea.

His train of thought was interrupted though, via the near miss of a harpoon aimed for his ribcage. Letting out what he hoped sounded better than a "meep", Lloyd clumsily rolled out of the way, concrete meeting his head as he avoided being skewered alive. He shook his head of the shock and saw the harpoon be retracted by the machine, which then turned and raced forward to charge at Lloyd. "I could use a little help here!" he called out, hoping Genis heard him if no one else.

The miniature chemist did indeed hear him, watching from the sidelines as the fight continued. He grimaced as Lloyd tried to block an overhead swipe from the behemoth of a machine, and prevented himself from being skewered. The force of it though sent him to his knees, his arms quivering from the strain. Genis gasped as he saw Magnius pick up his axe and lift it back to make a wide swing. Thinking fast, he reached into his bag and felt around for one of his newer ideas, a more practical explosive. He flicked the switch on it as he drew his arm back before chucking it in Magnius' direction, aiming it at his feet. It sailed through the air and gave off a small whistle as it landed next to his feet, drawing the man's attention.

His attention was rewarded with an explosion of liquid that covered his left foot entirely, his right only partially being showered. He blinked in confusion and growled before tensing to leap forward, only to catch himself as he realized he could no longer feel his foot. And it was suddenly immensely cold where he was standing as well. Looking down again, he looked dumbfounded as he realized his foot was now encased in ice. "What the hell?!" he exclaimed, trying to lift his foot, but failing.

Genis gave a wide grin and patted himself on the back. "Field test of the Nitrogen bomb…success!" he remarked as he watched Magnius struggle. Lloyd in the meantime had gotten up on his feet again and put distance between himself and the Slayer, and had looked behind it to witness Magnius be trapped. He gave a smile as he knew it was Genis' work, and thanked him mentally for the assist. Eyeing his single opponent now, he realized that he couldn't try and over power the automaton. His sore arms were testament to that. Instead, he'd need to outmaneuver it. His eyes shifted back to the crowd and he finally spotted Genis, who was watching him and gave a start as their eyes met. He waved at him and pointed at the machine, then reached around to pat at his back.

Genis blinked in confusion as Lloyd motioned to the robot, and looked at it before spying what Lloyd had meant. On the backside of the Slayer was a rather large and obvious active engine, the driving force behind its actions. The exhaust hole had been sealed shut, with small vent holes open and leaking tiny wisps of steam along the sides. Genis looked back to Lloyd and held up the only other Nitrogen bomb he had, and pointed at it before pointing at the engine. Lloyd nodded, and Genis gave a thumbs-up. Magnius had watched the two's exchange and yelled out in frustration before bashing his axe at the ice around his foot, freeing it.

"Kill the boy!" he ordered, and the Slayer gave a roar in response before charging, Magnius right behind it, bellowing like mad. Lloyd stayed put and watched the two, tensing as the machine drew closer and reared an arm back to strike. He smirked and watched as it slammed its metal fist into the ground where he'd stood moments before, having dodged to the right. Landing, he darted forward and jumped onto the attacking arm, and turned it into a spring board as he leapt over the machine towards Magnius. He looked up in surprise as Lloyd flew toward him, his blade drawn back. He raised his axe and swung at the same time as Lloyd slashed, and a clang of metal was heard before Lloyd landed, the strike too quick for the audience to judge.

It became obvious a moment later of who the victor was as Magnius' axe fell apart at the handle, the sharpened edge falling to the ground. Giving a start, Magnius looked at the now useless handle he held before tossing it to the ground and kicking the Slayer out of frustration. "Move, you stupid thing! I want that boy dead now! Kill him!" Obeying, it fired its harpoon again, aiming this time directly for Lloyd's open backside. "Lloyd, move!" Genis yelled as he saw his best friend hold his kneeling position. His eyes widened as Lloyd suddenly shifted and rolled to the left, the harpoon rocketing by and crashing into the ground again. Lloyd raised his blade and brought it down onto the cable of the harpoon, cutting it loose and removing it from use.

Retracting the now useless cable, the Slayer resorted to physical means of attack, charging once again at Lloyd. The tinkerer turned fighter looked to Genis and nodded who gave a nod back and hefted his device. Charging forward, Lloyd met the machine head on, and ducked as it gave a wide right swing to cleave his head off. Taking the advantage of speed, he then leapt up and over onto the backside of the automaton, stabbing one of his swords into the exposed back area of the engine. A loud surge of gears grinding and screeching was his reward as the machine stumbled, its balance disrupted due to the internal damage. It wavered, causing Lloyd to hold onto his blade for balance while he turned to Genis. "Here!"

The boy tossed the bomb to his friend, who caught it and fumbled with it a minute as the machine tried to reach back to get to Lloyd. "This ends now!" Lloyd yelled as he took his other blade and smashed it into the sealed portion of the engine, breaking it and sending a large cloud of steam out. He flicked the switch on the bomb and jammed it into the hole, leaping off of the machine after pulling his blades out. A moment later, an explosion of ice jutted out of the engine, and the behemoth came crashing down, the whirring of the engine ceasing finally as its glowing eyes faded away. "No….you damn brat! I'm gonna kill you with my bare hands!" Magnius bellowed as he stepped to attack Lloyd.

To his surprise though, he found himself instead on the business end of several police force rifles, each aimed for his chest. "That will be enough, Magnius. The game is over. You've lost." Governor Dorr's voice called out as he stood behind the gathered force. "You have gambled, and failed. Surrender now if you want to live." The dreadlocked man growled and looked to charge anyway, before he sighed and kneeled to the ground. "I surrender…" he muttered, cursing under his breath as he gave Lloyd the fiercest glare he could. In response, Lloyd simply grinned and sheathed his blades before walking to Genis, who was relieved his friend was unharmed.

"We have got to stop getting ourselves mixed up in these things…" Genis remarked as the crowd began to cheer as Magnius was carted away. Lloyd looked around and shrugged. "I dunno…kinda nice to do something good once in awhile, don't you think so?" The young chemist thought for a moment and laughed before rubbing his nose. "I guess so. Let's just try to do it where we don't get our lives threatened, huh?"

Lloyd laughed and turned to walk away when he saw an officer run up to him. "You there! Mr. Swordsman! Are you friends with a tall, white haired woman and a blonde girl about up to your shoulder in height?" At Lloyd's nod, the man pointed to the direction he'd come from. "We've just heard reports that they're being pursued by a mob of thugs down in the city square! We're going to try and route them out, but we need some help. Will you assist us?" Lloyd and Genis both nodded and followed after the man, heading down the street towards the City Square.

* * *

><p><strong>City streets, near Palmacosta Trade Square<strong>

"What do we do, what do we do, what do we do?!" Colette yelled as she and Raine dashed past a small bench, which was soon overtaken by the mob of thugs following behind them. The renewed pursuit had energized the pair to keep moving, their legs pumping and chests heaving as they fled their pursuers, though they couldn't make any headway in escaping them. They weren't sure where Kvar was in that mess of thugs, but figured if they couldn't see him, they shouldn't worry and focus more on the more prominent threat.

"If we could just find the square, we can have more room to move!" Raine panted as she looked around and quickly ran past a corner. Elation came to her as she recognized the vendor carts that had been in the square before. "We're close! Come on!" she rushed onwards, Colette close behind as they fled. They reached the perimeter of the square and made for one of the display stages. In her rush, Colette distantly recognized it as the same one that she and Lloyd and Genis had visited before.

"You can't run forever!" one of the thugs yelled as they gave chase, emptying into the square behind Raine and Colette. The pair reached the stage and jumped onto it, quickly diving through the curtain and behind it, into a pile of various boxes left behind by the presenters. Raine and Colette quickly emerged from the boxes and kept going, the mob behind them splitting to go around the stage and reuniting behind them, the boxes being smashed under their feet.

"What now?" Raine asked aloud, trying to think of a solution. Colette looked ahead of them and spotted a dash of red hair, and focused on the individual before gasping in recognition. "Mr. Wilder!" she called out.

Zelos Wilder's day had gone rather quietly today. The customers he had hoped to bring in were taken by some event going on at City Hall, and even his usual entourage of lovely ladies had vanished. He had set himself to merely wandering through the town, pondering the next port of call that he would be sent to when he heard a female voice call out to him. "Yes! They can never resist the Wilder charm!" he cheered to himself as he turned around, smiling broadly. "How can I help you, mil-"he trailed off seeing the massive mob of Desians behind Raine and Colette. For all of three seconds, he froze before turning tail and taking off.

"H-hey!" Colette yelled as she and Raine went after him. They soon caught up with him, though he tried to dash away several times before they could get to him. "Mr. Wilder!" she exclaimed as she finally matched up with him. "It's me, from the other day! At the display show?"

"Listen sweetheart, it's lovely that you remember me, but I'm not much akin for being chased by an angry mob! What did you do?" He asked, looking behind him and ducking as a wooden club flew past his head and clattered onto the road ahead.

"Oh, we didn't do anything! They're just a bunch of Desians who are chasing me and Professor Raine here!" she replied. Zelos, if not for the mob behind him and the fact he was running, was sure he would've face planted at such a reply. "We're trying to get away from them, but we're not having much luck. We thought you might be able to help!"

"So you choose to get my butt involved in your wild goose chase?!" he says in disbelief. He growls and looks ahead. "Well, I guess I might as well do something! We're running out of room here!" he pointed ahead at what was a dead end for the street. The section they were in, unknown as they had ran, was an area that led directly to the city's border wall. The three stopped running and turned to face the mob, which had slowed seeing its targets cornered.

"We gotcha now, pretty ladies! And even better, we have three of them now!" one of the bigger ones in the back bellowed, causing them to cackle. "Who knows, boys, maybe we should have some fun before we hand this lot over to mister Kvar? Whadaya say, lads?" they gave a cheer as they slowly approached.

Colette stepped back in fear at the expressions on their faces. She looked left and right, but saw no alleyways or shortcuts to escape. "W-we're trapped!" she said, shaking slightly as she stood closer to Raine. The elder Sage held Colette behind her, growling at the men before her. She'd be damned if she allowed her charge to be harmed if she could prevent it.

"Now wait just one Martel blasted second!" Zelos' voice rang out, echoing over the mob, quieting them. Raine and Colette turned to Zelos, who had his eyes shadowed over by his hair. "You can trample my stage…make me run through the city streets like a maniac…but no one calls me a woman and gets away with it!" he looked up, eyes blazing, and ripped off his shirt, throwing the tattered bits into the air. The two females gasped in surprise as they saw he had a machine strapped to his back. It was a small gas tube that covered the length of his back, with several gauges and pipes visible. Folded metal sheets sat on the sides of it, pressed flat against the tube.

Zelos turned and grabbed Raine and Colette each in an arm and held them close as the mob stepped closer. "Sorry, boys, but I'm afraid this show's been cancelled. Try again another day." Zelos reached behind him and triggered the small switch at the base of the machine, causing it to release an immediate explosion of steam and gas, propelling all three into the air over the mob. Raine and Colette yelled as they found themselves suddenly in the air, as the folded metal sheets extended out into miniature wings. "We-we're flying?!" Raine yelled in shock.

"Well, gliding more like!" Zelos answered over the loud sound of the makeshift jetpack behind him. "It's still in development! And not very good at that either!" he said as the machine began whirring down. "What do you mean?" Colette asked loudly from her spot under Zelos' arm. The city square came into view as they started to tilt downwards instead of up.

"Well…its really only meant for one person!" Zelos answered as the jetpack emptied itself of fuel, and their flight swiftly came to an end. Raine and Colette yelled again as the three crashed into the pile of boxes again, their impact softened considerably, but still heavy enough to dizzy them. "And…not enough fuel to fly far…" Zelos groaned out from his spot beneath the boxes.

"Ow…" Raine rubbed at her head as she threw a box off of her. "Well, at least it got us away from them…" she looked up and deadpanned. "For about five seconds…" Zelos and Colette peeked up to see the mob had returned, now infuriated that their quarry had escaped. "Nowhere else to go! And no more tricks!" the leader of the mob yelled as he rushed forward. Zelos stood up and planted himself firmly in front of Raine and Colette, looking directly at the mob. "You two get going…I'll buy you time." He said quietly.

"No, Mr. Wilder!" Colette protested, but Zelos waved her off. "Fear not, my blonde beauty…I will be alright. Go now, run. You as well, Madame." He nodded at Raine, who blinked owlishly at being called a "madam". Before anyone could do anymore, however, a gunshot rang out, freezing the mob in their tracks and looking beyond Zelos, who looked confused and turned around as well.

Colette and Raine both grinned widely as Lloyd stood on top of the stage, his gunblade in his hands and aimed at the mob. Around the stage, the police force emerged and quickly formed a defensive line in front of the three beleaguered allies. "That's far enough!" Lloyd called out, as he motioned for Raine, Colette, and Zelos to move behind him. The three nodded and moved, finally safe once more as they were found by Genis and fully reunited.

* * *

><p><strong>1. Based off of the Warjacks from Warmachine, particularly the Slayer model. Credit to Infinite Freedom for the idea.<strong>

**2. An actual chemical, used in the production of several gases such as tear gas and others used for riot control.**

**I apologize for how long this took to make. Figuring in moving back in to college, the writer's block from stress from work as well as classes, taking on a writing competition, and having to redo the entire chapter after already having one halfway constructed, made for a late update. I will work harder to update more often when I can. I hope you enjoy, and please read and review!**


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